The Big Four
by cjupsher
Summary: Superhero AU. Four heros must unite to face a great evil when the arch enemies team up. Can Night Fury, Frost, Archer, and Limelight come together in earth's hour of need to stop an ancient threat? Or will their differences make them fall? Can people with complicated very lives and secrets find love along the way? Do not own anything. Lemons later
1. Chapter 1

**Frost and Fury**

The city of Berk. A large city located on the eastern coast of the U.S. It has fishing, a charming view of the sunset, and a booming industry. And located in this great city of Berk was the economic front runner of the science world, Haddock Industries.

One of the world leaders in the fields of science and technology it has been owned and passed down through the prestigious Haddock family. Now in the hands of the current owner and CEO, Henry Harrison Haddock III has led the company into the future with his latest innovations all the way from communications to weapons technology.

Currently the young 24 year old was in a fancy restaurant having a nice dinner with his bombshell of a date. The young man was amazed that he was actually sitting across from a beautiful woman and not tripping over his words. The girl seemed to actually be having a good time with him yet again on what was probably their tenth date.

The woman in question was the famous and fearsome Merida Dunbroch, owner and CEO of Dunbroch Corp. Her company and Haddock Industries had been business rivals for decades. But seeing that Haddock Industries could possibly become the world leader of the science world Merida had proposed a merger of the two companies. A merger of these two powerhouses would shake the foundation of both the economic and scientific world. And both owners were anticipating doing just that.

Merida had come to Berk to discuss the terms of the merger. When she had met Henry, or Hiccup as his friends called him, she hadn't thought much of the young man. He was tall but a little skinny for her taste. Merida generally preferred men with more meat on them than the fishbone that was Hiccup. But then again most men she had dated were lacking in the upper story.

Hiccup however had no problem in the brain department. She'd been astounded by his powerful and brilliant mind. Hiccup was an expert in almost any field of science she could think of. Especially energy and robotics. His left leg being a testament to his expertise. His prosthetic was of his own invention and decades ahead of its time. Able to actually attach to his nervous system it could move and respond like a real limb.

Merida felt herself drawn to him as they discussed the terms of the merger. And on a whim she'd asked him out for drinks. She still remembered how big his eyes went, almost as if he couldn't believe she'd asked him out. She thought it was adorable. So later that night they'd met up and had drinks. They ended up enjoying each other's company so much that they met up again. And again. And again until ten dates later, there they were.

The young pair couldn't believe how similar they were. Both fiery and determined to make the world a better place they tried to use their companies as a way to give back and help the less fortunate. Additionally they could emphasize with each other, for both knew what it was like to have an almost impossible to please parent.

For Hiccup it came in the form of his father Stoick Haddock. Or Stoick the Vast as he was called in his college football days. A star athlete and a brilliant business man he'd never taken his son seriously until years later. Poor Hiccup had never had a natural knack for sports his father did, much to his disappointment. He'd been a scrawny thing as a child. A runt most people would say. But then he got older and hit his growth spurt his father started to see him in a new light. And Hiccup persevered until he showed his father he could be a son he could be proud of. His efforts paid off as his father let him take the reins of the company and lead them into the future.

Merida had a similar problem as a child in the form of her mother. Believing that women should be a little more domestic she'd never encouraged Merida to pursue her own path as her father had. She'd insisted Merida get married to a man of means and let him take over her father's company while she raised a family. But Merida wouldn't have any of that. So she forged her own path and eventually even her mother had to admit what she'd done was amazing. She'd made her mother proud. But she still kept insisting she settle down and find a good man.

The young 23 year old looked up from her glass of wine with a small smile. Maybe she had. Looking at Hiccup she couldn't believe she'd dismissed him so easily at first. The lad was attractive. Standing at 6'1 he had a lean and wiry build with beautiful green eyes that remaindered her of her family's land in Scotland. He had a mess of auburn hair that she found so enticing that she just wanted to tangle her fingers in it. And his strong angled chin with light stubble that made him look boyish yet manly. And then there was that crooked grin he would flash her that would actually make her knees weak.

"Merida?" Hiccup asked his date.

Merida flinched in surprise, realizing she'd dazed out and flushed. "Sorry Hiccup. What was that?"

"I asked if you wanted dessert," Hiccup said again.

Merida shook her head in rejection. Hiccup just smiled and shrugged while taking a sip of his own glass. He looked over at Merida. He couldn't believe she'd asked him out. She was gorgeous. She had a mane of fiery red curls that ran all the way down to her back and matched her personality. Most men would be intimidated by it. And Hiccup was with them. But he also found it very attractive. He liked strong women. Her face was slender and womanly with a lightly freckled face, button nose, pink lips, and sky blue eyes. What this goddess saw in him he'd never know. But he'd learned a long time ago not to question these things.

Both young couple really liked each other. And soon, they might even become something official. But unbeknownst to the other they were both hiding a secret from each other.

"So Hiccup," Merida piped in. Hiccup looked up at her inquisitively.

"How come you don't have a lass in your life," Merida asked.

Hiccup blushed. He began to rub the back of his neck awkwardly. "Well…it's just that most women are just after my money. They think that if they throw themselves at me they can get a shopping spree and an all expenses paid trip to the Bahamas. You know," he said.

Merida nodded knowingly. She'd met men trying to court her for the same reasons. Usually it was a chance to take over the company. But Hiccup was different. He didn't want her money. He had his own. And she didn't want his either. This was another reason why they seemed so compatible.

"So you never had a girlfriend then?" she asked.

"Well there was one," Hiccup said fondly. "Astrid was her name."

"What happened?"

"Well we dated throughout high school. Started in freshman year. She liked me even when I was twig and we dated throughout high school and into college," he explained. "But then we went to schools on different sides of the country. We made the long distance thing work for a year or two…but then she met someone," he said with a sad sigh.

Merida couldn't help but feel a little bad for him. She could tell how much he cared for this girl.

"Met this guy named Eret. They just ended up clicking so instead of leading me on and going behind my back she broke up with me," he said with a shrug.

"Well I bet he's hideous," Merida said with a smile.

Hiccup chuckled. "If by hideous you mean buff, chiseled, and manly then yes he's a monster," he said sarcastically.

"Well he must be a bastard then," she offered.

"Nah, I've met him. He's actually ok," Hiccup admitted.

"I bet he's an idiot."

"Well he's got nothing on this but he's a good guy," Hiccup said. "I'm happy for them. They're going strong and Astrid a big hot shot lawyer now. We still keep in touch and she's still one of my best friends," he said with a fond smile.

Merida smiled. Glad he wasn't hung up on Astrid still. It meant she had a chance.

"What about you?" Hiccup asked returning her question.

"Well I've had two real boyfriends but they never lasted long. Just want a chance to put their hands in my company," she said with a shrug. Hiccup nodded in understanding. So done with their meal Hiccup paid for the check before escorting Merida to his car. A modified black Camaro that Merida loved and insisted in driving one day.

Opening her door like the gentlemen he was Hiccup allowed Merida to get in first before getting in the driver's seat starting the car and driving her home.

* * *

Hiccup didn't know how they'd gotten to this point. He'd driven Merida home to her condo, walked her up to her front door. And being a gentleman and wanting to show how much he respected her he didn't ask to come in and was content on a good night and maybe a kiss. But Merida had invited him in for a night cap, which he politely accepted, and now he was sitting on her couch with Merida in his lap straddling his legs and making out with him as if she were trying to devour him.

Merida simply hadn't wanted the night to be over. So she invited Hiccup in for a drink. And then she kicked off her shoes removed his leather jacket and dragged him over to her couch before she started snogging him. She couldn't help it. She was just so attracted to him.

"I just want to let you know," Hiccup breathed out as he pulled his lips away from hers. He shivered as Merida began trailing kisses down his jawline. "I respect the hell out of you," he finished before pulling her lips back to his.

Merida smiled against his lips. She knew Hiccup respected her. Even when they started kissing he'd kept his hands to his sides until she moved them to the small of her back. She shivered at the feeling of his strong hands holding her and pressing her to him. Hiccup was a lot stronger than his small body let on.

Merida broke the kiss to start planting hot kisses on his neck. Kisses that made him groan and gasp every time he felt her lips meet his flesh. Hiccup was kind of wondering where this was leading. And he'd be lying if he said he hoped it wasn't leading to sex. He hadn't had any in five years. And his masculine core was very eager to end his dry spell.

Merida moaned as she felt Hiccup's bulge pressing against her sex. It had been some time since Merida had been with a man. Not that she had ever been promiscuous. She'd only had sex with two men. But as she started to press herself down on Hiccup and grind against his hips she was hoping Hiccup would be the third. Tonight even.

She wanted to make Hiccup forget about Astrid. She wanted him to think and want only her. She wanted to drive him crazy and see him lose control.

Hiccup, sensing the mood was right, began hiking up Merida's green dress. But then an unwanted interruption came in the form of his cell phone ringing. With a groan of annoyance he reached into his jacket next to him and pulled it out. He growled in irritation when he saw the caller ID.

"Can you give me a sec Merida," he said apologetically. Merida gave an annoyed huff but complied. Hiccup brought his phone to his ear and hit the answer button. "Hello," he grumbled.

"Hey Hiccup old buddy. It's me…Jack," came the voice of Hiccup's 'best friend'.

"Now isn't a good time Jack," he growled out.

"Oh yeah. Today was your date with the Marie chick right?"

"Merida," he corrected. Merida smiled at being mentioned. And feeling frisky she began planting kisses on his neck as he spoke. Hiccup released a shaky breath and suppressed a whimper.

"Right right. So anyway, I could use some help here. Got this problem uptown that could use some of your expertise," Jack said.

Hiccup sighed. "Jack really. Can't you handle this alone?" he whined. He prayed that it was something small. He prayed harder as Merida began fumbling with his belt buckle.

"Hiccup…it's our old friend Drago," Jack said seriously.

That snapped Hiccup out of the mood. "I'll be right there," he said before hanging up. With a sigh he looked at Merida and gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry Merida. But I have to go," he said with a sigh. Merida looked a little hurt but got off him. "I'm really sorry. Buts it's my best friend, you know?" he said sheepishly and hoped she would understand.

Merida smiled. "It's ok Hiccup. I know something about best friends," she said knowingly. Hiccup smiled at her gratefully and placed his jacket on. Merida stepped forward and planted a kiss on his lips.

"Goodnight princess," he said with a warm smile.

"Goodnight Henry," she said playfully. Hiccup chuckled before making his way out the door. He was happy he'd met Merida. She was amazing. And hopefully they could pick up where they left off another night.

But then he shook his head of Merida as he focused on the task at hand. Drago had pooped up again. It was time to get serious.

It was time for Night Fury.

* * *

Uptown the citizens of Berk were in a panic as five mechanical flying robots were going on a rampage. The robots were 9 feet tall and in the shape of bipedal dragons. Armed with machine guns and missiles they fired and flew in random directions, blowing up cars and damaging buildings. Luckily no one had been seriously injured just yet. But at the rate they were going someone would get hurt, or worse.

A little girl was crying in the middle of a panicking crowd. She'd lost track of her mother and was too scared to move. She was frightened as she watched police try and fight back against the bad dragon robots. But their weapons didn't seem to be doing anything.

Suddenly one of the robots hit a street light, sending it tumbling and careening to the ground to land before the little girl. The little girl sniffled and stared wide eyed as the robot pulled itself out of the ground before turning to look at her. She watched as the robot just gazed at her before it lifted and pointed its arm at her.

"Terminate," the thing said in a metallic voice. The little girl squeaked in fear but remained frozen like a deer in head lights. Her mother, who finally spotted her from a distance, cried out in agony for her daughter as she saw her about to be gunned down.

Then suddenly from behind the little girl six shards of ice suddenly flew by her before piercing the body of the robot. It gave a screech and she saw it spark and spasm violently. Then she felt an arm wrap around her middle before the wind picked up and in a second they were in the air. The little girl kept her eyes on the dragon robot as it exploded. The fireball from the explosion roared up at them and threatened to sear them but an icy wind blew down at it and extinguished it.

Peering behind her, the little girl gasped as she recognized her savior.

"Frost!" she cried in glee. The character in question was a young man and one of Berk's two superheros.

He called himself Frost and as his name hinted he possessed powers of ice and snow. He could do things ranging from calling forth a gentle flurry to summoning a fearsome and powerful blizzard. And his powers over the wind also allowed him to fly. He stood at 5'9 with a slender build that hid an impressive strength and agility. He had a mop of spiky white hair, pale skin, and blue eyes hidden beneath a mask that covered his eyes and nose. He wore a blue hoodie with snowflake on the front and white designs on his shoulders that was longer in the back and flowed down to his feet in a cape like fashion. The material of his hoodie was actually a special material made by his partner that was almost indestructible and capable of withstanding his icy powers. On his legs he wore a pair of brown pants and thick white snow boots. In his right hand was his staff cane that served as a conduit for his powers and his weapon of choice.

Smiling at the little girl in his arms the hero flew over to her mother before gently landing in front of her. The little girl reached her arms out and was snatched up by her mother.

"Thank you Frost," the woman said with a teary smile.

"My pleasure ma'am. But you should get to safety," he advised. The woman nodded and ran off with her child who waved a goodbye to him. He smiled after them before turning to face the four remaining robots wreaking havoc. Narrowing his eyes he summoned the winds and took to the sky.

Flying at the robot he picked one out before focusing his powers though his cane. With a shout he thrust his cane forward while covering it in incredibly hard ice and pierced the chest of one of the robots. With a grunt he focused his powers through his cane and filled the robot with ice.

Ice shards suddenly burst from all over the robot's body before Frost pulled his cane free and got clear of the explosion. The remaining robots suddenly turned their attention to him. He narrowed his eyes and held his staff at the ready. From the shoulders of the robots popped out missile launchers. Taking aim they fired, Frost remained at the ready but was surprised to see them fly passed him. Glancing over his shoulder he saw that they were headed straight for the line of policemen attempting to protect the people.

"Shit," he muttered. With a sweep of his hand he shot ice shards at the missiles. His aim was true and he hit every one before they got to the policemen, saving them. Facing forward he created a wall of ice in front of him as the robots began firing at him. He growled in irritation as he peered through his ice shield at them. He needed to end this.

Then from above the robots several small missiles suddenly flew down and took out the one in the back with a powerful explosion. Frost smiled and looked up to see his partner. In the sky was a person dressed in black robotic armor. On his head was a spiked helmet with three ridges and glowing green eye holes. On his back were black metallic wings with thrusters on them and his feet keeping him in the air. At his chest was a glowing purple light that was the power source of his suit. The perpetual energy battery known as the plasma core. This was Night Fury. The first of Berk's superheroes and one of Frost's best friend's both in and out of costume.

Fury suddenly dived at one of the remaining robots. Swerving a little to the side one of his wings made contact and sliced through the robot's body. Within a second it exploded in a great fireball as he flew past it to hover besides Frost.

"Hey buddy, about time you got here," Frost said with a smirk.

"Shut it icicle," Fury said in a deep altered voice. Frost just chuckled as they both turned their attention to the last remaining robot. Then suddenly its thrusters increased power and it took to the sky in retreat. After a second of shock both Fury and Frost took off after it. And thus began a chase through the sky and the streets of Berk as the robot did its best to outrun the duo.

As they flew Frost shot shards of ice at its boosters to try and bring it down but it kept swerving and changing direction. Fury tried to shoot it with his gauntlets that fired off blasts of his plasma energy but it did the same. Finally it flew upwards making a steep climb and Fury smiled. Locking on through his helmet he fired a homing missile at it.

The duo watched as the missile chased the robot down before colliding with it. Then the robot fell to the ground in a smoky mess before impacting on a building. Both Frost and Fury descended and landed near it. As it was getting up Fury raised a hand a fired at its head, blowing it off and disabling it.

"And that takes care of that," Frost said proudly as he slung his staff over his shoulder.

"Yes it does," Fury said as he approached it. His helmet's sensors began scanning it for clues.

"So how was the date man?" Frost asked with a smile.

"Fine Frost," Fury responded curtly.

"Oh yeah. You get any?" he said playfully. When Fury didn't respond Frost's mouth fell open. "You did didn't you? OH MY GOD YOU FINALLY GOT LAID!" Frost shouted.

Fury sputtered in embarrassment. "No, no, no we didn't do anything. We were in the PROGESS of doing something when you called," he grumbled.

"Oh dude I'm so sorry man," Frost said in earnest. "Oh and she was a red head, you know what they say about red heads," he added. He knew his friend hadn't been with a girl in a long time. "But still man, you're rich. You could be getting laid like every night."

Fury rolled his eyes underneath his helmet. "I like being in a relationship Frost. And besides this one is just…different," he admitted.

Frost smiled. "Well I am sorry man. I just thought you'd want to know about this," he said gesturing to the robot.

"And you were right," Fury said firmly. Walking to the dragon's head he picked it up and placed it under his arm. "Let's get this home and see if we can find a clue," he said to Frost. Frost nodded and in a moment they were both in the air and headed for their base.

"So hey man why you don't bring Merida to my game tomorrow?" he offered.

Fury remained silent as he thought about it.

"Oh come on man, it'll be fun. And I really want to meet this girl."

With a sigh Fury relented. "All right, why not. Might as well have you chase her off now before things get serious," he said sarcastically.

Frost chuckled and smirked. He was happy for Hiccup. He hoped he and Merida could be something. The guy seriously needed to get laid.

* * *

**First Big Four story. Hope you find it interesting. Feel free to review and tell me what you think. Merricup an slight Jackunzel**


	2. Chapter 2

**Limelight and Archer**

The moment Hiccup left Merida released a disappointed sigh before falling back onto her couch. She'd been looking forward to him spending the night with her. She'd been especially looking forward to sex. She didn't know why, but she imagined Hiccup would be really good at it. He was so good with his hands after all. And if what she felt through his pants was any indication he was probably 'Vast' in his own way.

With nothing else to do for the night she settled down and turned on her TV. She flipped through the channels before settling on a standup comedy special. She wasn't really paying all that much attention, she just liked the noise.

She was slightly miffed at this so called 'best friend' that had stolen Hiccup's time so suddenly. She wondered what was so important he had to leave at that moment. But she hadn't been lying when she said she knew a thing or two about best friends.

Then as if on cue her phone rang. Glancing down, she saw it was her own best friend.

Pressing the answer key she brought the phone up to her ear. "Hello," she said.

"Hey Merida it's me Punz," came the voice of her friend.

"Hey Punz. How's Paris," she asked with a smile.

"Oh it was great but I'm not in Paris anymore," her friend replied.

Merida cocked an eyebrow at this. Strange, she thought her shoot would last much longer. "So where are you then?"

"Oh I'm actually in Berk," her friend informed her.

Merida perked up at this. A smile formed on her face at the prospect of seeing her bestie. "Oh really, where are you then?"

"Yeah, that's why I called. I was flying over the ocean and while coming into the city I saw something weird at the docks. Something that I could use a teeny bit of help with. If you're not still on your date that is," her friend said sheepishly.

"Docks?" she asked psyching herself up.

"Yes."

"I'll be right there," she said as she hung up. With a smile she walked into her room and went to her closet. Reaching behind her plethora of clothes she pulled out a large case. Snapping it open she smiled excitedly.

After a few moments Merida stepped out dressed in her costume. She wore a dark green leather jacket which was over a Kevlar vest. She also had matching green combat pants with various pockets for gadgets and armored pads for close combat. On her feet she wore black leather boots with steel toes and on her hands her fingerless black leather gloves. Her hair was now in a single plait running down her back and she placed a green mask over her face that covered her eyes and nose. Finishing her ensemble she placed a long hooded dark green cloak which she would wear up to hide her hair.

Lastly on her back was a quiver of numerous high tech arrows and in her hand was a white short bow with a laser sight attached to it.

In this costume Merida went by Archer. She was one of the two defenders of Corona City alongside her partner. Though she wasn't in her city she never trailed without her gear. Walking over to the balcony of her apartment she drew an arrow from her quiver and aimed at the parking garage across the street. Taking aim she let the arrow fly. Trailing behind this arrow was a line of incredibly strong yet light wire. The arrow imbedded into the stone of the building across the street.

She secured the line on her end a gave it a jerk to check the stability. Satisfied she reached into a pocket on her pants and pulled out a small hand held trolley and attaching it to the line she pushed off from her building and zipped through the air. Coming near the parking lot she activated the breaking system to slow down before letting go and dropping in through an open slot of the garage. Making her way through the garage she stopped at a covered motorcycle. Pulling the cover off she smiled down at her modified emerald green sports bike. Getting on and starting the engine she placed on her riding helmet before she revved it up and zoomed out of the garage.

As she flew through the streets of Berk at blinding speeds she made her way to the docks. As she went her cloak billowed and flapped in the wind and all she could hear was the thrum and whir of her bike. Then something popped into her line of sight. Glancing over she saw a familiar blue orb bobbing up and down while maintaining pace with her.

Immediately it darted to the left and she leaned left to follow after it. Knowing that it was showing her the fastest way to her destination.

* * *

Yellow flashes lit up the docks as a person battle against dark creature of unknown origin and intent. The person was a women. Dressed in a light purple outfit with silver highlights. The material of her outfit was a spandex like material but made by her partner's company for combat purpose meaning it was stronger and more durable. At her feet were silver high heeled boots that pulled up past her knees and over her leggings which gave her an additional 2 inches to her 5'8 frame. On the top portion of her body was a sleeved light purple top with an extending skirt in the back. On her arms were silver and purple fingerless gloves that ran up to her elbows and connect to her top. On her face was a purple mask covering her eyes with yellow colored shades.

The most notable feature about the young woman was her hair. It was a shining golden blond that ran down her back and stopped just behind her knees.

This woman was a superhero. One of the defenders of Corona City she was called Limelight. Limelight was like a living solar battery. She constantly and passively absorbed sunlight during the day and when using her powers had increased strength, speed, flight, durability, and the ability to project intense solar radiation from her hands in varying intensity which she called sun blasts. Additionally she could control her hair at will. Lengthening it and using it to ensnare and trap her enemies. But one her most precious and wonderful gifts was the ability to pass some her energy off to other people and heal them by wrapping her hair around the affected part of the body.

Currently Limelight was fighting against some strange creatures that she spotted on the docks as she was flying into Berk. As she blasted and punched them she saw that they appeared to be made of black sand. They gave her an eerie feeling as she sensed black magic giving the creature life and form.

There were fifteen of them at the moment. Surrounding her and perched on shipping crates as they stared her down with menacing amber eyes. They looked like skeletal horses and they reared and shook their heads in anger.

Limelight stared them down as she waited for an attack. She heard one whinny behind her. Glancing over her shoulder she willed her hair into action. In a flash it whipped at the creature and ripped through it, reducing it to sand. One in front of her suddenly lunged. Raising her hands up, she focused her energy and fired a sun blast at it. A searing hole was blasted though it before the sand fell apart and it was done.

Suddenly all the creatures tensed to lunge at once. Seeing this Limelight gathered her energies and leapt into the air. Hovering above them she cursed as she saw they could take to the air as well. Facing forward she sped away. Flying over shipping crates and under cranes as she would occasionally turn around to blast at one getting to close. Suddenly she heard a cry above her. Glancing up she saw one had broken off from the others to ambush her. It collided with her, sending them both crashing to the ground.

They wrestled as Limelight was pinned under it. It attempted to lash at her with its jaws but Limelight held it mouth open and at bay. Concentrating, she willed her hair in movement. She had it lengthen and wrap wound the thing's body. Then she willed it to begin tightening. Within a few moments her hair squeezed the thing so hard her hair caused it to rip apart. Rolling back and springing to her feet she thrust her hands out and fired off sun blasts at the five remaining creatures.

In a few moments now were left. Limelight smiled to herself proudly and put her hands on her hips.

"Maybe I didn't need help after all," she said to herself. Suddenly a flash caught her attention as an arrow flew over her shoulder. Glancing back she saw an arrow buried into the eye of one of the creatures she hadn't noticed. The thing fell apart as the arrow detonated and scattered its body to the wind.

"You were saying?" came a familiar voice. With a smile Limelight faced forward and saw her partner approaching. Her bow in hand and hood up. But she could see a smile underneath her hood.

"Oh Mer it's so good to see you," Limelight cried as she ran forward and threw her arms around her best friend. Merida grunted and wheezed as her enthusiastic friend nearly crushed her. The girl didn't know her own strength while she was using he powers.

"Good to see you too _Limelight_," she said with emphasis on her superhero name.

"Ooops, sorry Archer," Limelight said with a sheepish smile as she set her down. Suddenly a monstrous shriek got their attention. Turning around they gasped as they saw a large red shipping container hurtling toward them. But leaping into action Limelight stepped forward and raised her arms.

With a huff she caught the container and held it above her head, keeping it from crushing her friend. Merida had ducked lightly out of instinct but smiled as she saw her friend holding the container. The she glanced in the direction it had come flying from to see a large bipedal robot. With wings and a pointed head and spine that reminded her of a dragon.

Narrowing her eyes she drew an arrow and fired at it. Her aim was true as it went straight for the things chest. But at the last second it dodged by jerking to the right. The robot then raised an arm and pointed it at the two women, preparing to fire at them.

Archer and Limelight smirked knowingly. As the dragon was about to fire it was suddenly pierced from behind by the same arrow as before. It started to spark and short circuit violently as it tried to assess the damage. But while it was doing that Limelight took to the air and with the shipping container still in hand she flew toward the robot before slamming it down on top of it. There was a muffled explosion from the robot before everything was silent.

Limelight touched down and walked back toward Archer, whose white bow covered in mystic Gaelic symbols was glowing. Her bow was magic. Though her aim was already impeccable any arrow she fired from her bow would be drawn to the target she was aiming for even if she missed. Assuming nothing got in its way that is. The bow had been in her family for generations and now it was hers. Additionally holding the bow allowed the user to see wisps. Little spirits who would serve as an early warning system and even lead the owner to whatever they were trying to find.

"What were those thing?" Archer asked aloud.

"I have no idea," Limelight said with a shrug. "I just saw them as I was flying in. I sense dark magic at work," Limelight said with a shudder.

"You think its Gothel?" Archer asked seriously.

Limelight pursed her lips and though about it. She glanced around at the dead things. "No. It's someone else. But…" she paused as she turned to look toward the city. "I can't help but get the feeling that Gothel is somehow involved," she whispered.

"And what about that robot?" Limelight pointed out.

"No idea," Archer said.

Archer sighed. This wasn't good. Still, she couldn't help wonder what those things had been after. Summoning up a wisp she asked them to lead her to what the creature and robot had been looking for. The little spirit bobbed up and down before moving away from her. Archer followed it with Limelight following loyally beside her.

"So how was your date with Hiccup?" Limelight asked with a smile.

Archer couldn't help but smile and turn her head shyly. "It was good." She said sincerely. She'd been telling her friend about him since they'd met. She just liked him so much.

Limelight let out a giddy squeal for her friend. She was glad she'd found someone. Merida was so picky with men. She'd even tried to set her up with her own friends but she always turned them down.

"How's Eugene?" Archer asked. Limelight's face fell.

"We're on a break," she said with a small shrug.

"What!? Why!?" Archer asked in shock.

Limelight shrugged gain. "I'll tell you later," she muttered quietly.

"You better," Archer said firmly. Suddenly she heard a whisper as the wisps came to a large blue shipping container. Archer and Limelight exchanged a glanced before the walked to the front and opened it. Going inside, Limelight willed her hair to glow to give them some light. They scanned the contents and saw they were smaller wooden crates.

"Hey look, they're from Scotland," Limelight said as she pointed at a shipping sticker. Archer inspected them and noticed that too.

"Punz, open this crate for me," Archer told her friend. Her friend hesitated for a moment before walking over. Gripping the edge she easily pried off the top of a container. Inside they saw a sword. A sheathed long sword. Limelight didn't know what to make of it and just stared at it.

But Archer noticed the symbol on the hilt and her face paled.

"No. It can nae be," she said. Her accent slipping out due to her surprise. Suddenly the sounds of police sirens could be heard in the distance. With no time to think the women rushed out of the crate before Limelight wrapped and arm around her friend and took to the air. As they flew Limelight noticed her friend was staring down at the crate with the sword.

"What is it Mer?" she asked curiously.

Merida remained silent. One of her worst fears had been realized. _It _had been found. And that meant the _he _probably had a hand in this.

"The Sword of Mor'du," she whispered in dread.

Things were about to get very interesting in Berk.

* * *

**Second Chapter. Limelight and Archer. Hope you like. Feel free to review and ask queston if you got them. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Best Friends**

Hiccup sat in his chair in front of his base's supercomputer. He'd gone to sleep almost instantaneously the night before after having the dragon robot's head CPU and memory scanned. When he woke up he scanned the surface of the metal for clues. What he'd found wasn't good. Then with some further digging he started piecing things together.

"Dude, slushy machine was a killer idea," Jack said as he walked up behind him while slurping down a blueberry slushy and holding a burger in hand.

"Well I'm glad you think so since you wouldn't stop bothering me about putting one in," Hiccup said dryly as he kept his eyes on the computer screen.

"Hey a guy needs to have a slushy to be at his peak condition when he fights crime," Jack said with a shrug. Suddenly his burger was snatched out of his hand. He scowled down as he saw the giant black wolf dog gobbling down his burger. "Toothless!" he shouted in annoyance.

The wolf dog looked up at him and licked his chops. "Good boy Toothless," Hiccup said with a smirk. Toothless wagged his tail before coming to lie down at Hiccup's feet.

Jack grumbled indignantly before looking up at the screen. "So what did you find brainiac?"

Hiccup sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Unfortunately nothing. Drago is too smart to slip up that easily." Jack nodded in agreement. "But after scanning the surface and inside of the robot, I found something you're not gonna like," he continued.

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?" he asked curious.

Hiccup pressed a button on the keyboard of his computer and pulled up a microscopic scan of the robot's metal surface. "Black sand," Hiccup informed him. Jack's eye twitched and he instantly froze the slushy in his hand solid.

"Pitch," Jack growled out.

"Like I said. Not gonna like," Hiccup repeated.

"You think him and Drago are working together?" Jack asked seriously.

"Seems like too much of a coincidence for that not to be the case," Hiccup said with a sigh. "But there's something else," he continued. Jack looked at him and coked his head to the side. "Last night was strange. Drago doesn't normally just send his bots out without some kind of purpose besides causing havoc," Hiccup pointed out. As Jack thought about it, he realized he was right. Usually Drago would attempt to steal something or target something. Last night had been too…random.

"What are you thinking then?" Jack asked.

Hiccup pressed another key on the keyboard and pulled up a news clip about the docks. "It was a distraction. To keep our eyes away from the docks," he said. "There was some kind of scuffle down there last night," he said. He pressed another key and pulled up a clip showing one of Dragon's robots being pulled from underneath a shipping crate in wreckage.

"So something came in last night that Drago wanted?" he asked. "What do you think it was?"

"Well I pulled up a list of all the things that came in last night. Nothing on the list fits the things Drago usually goes after. But when I factor in Pitch's involvement the computer pulled up something it thought he would go after," he said as he hit a few keys. A photo of a sword came up.

"A sword?" Jack asked.

"The Sword of Mor'du. Recently found and on loan from Scotland, it was shipped to be displayed in Berk's museum. It said to be cursed and give the user the strength of ten men," he explained.

"Sounds like dark magic," Jack said in disgust.

"And who do we know that's into the dark arts?" he asked rhetorically. They both knew the answer.

"How sure are you that this was what they were after?" Jack asked.

"The computer is only about sixty percent. So I did some follow up." Hiccup then started rapidly typing in keys before pulling up a live camera feed. "This was a live camera feed from the museum. The sword is on display. And with my facial recognition software, we got a hit," he said as he zoomed into a frozen frame. He zoomed into and focused on two red headed men that looked to be twins. They were tall, ugly, and overall looked like bad men.

"Who are dumb and dumber?" Jack inquired.

"These are the Stabbington brothers. Mercenaries for hire that are into the shadiest of businesses. But they tend to work for one person in particular," he said as he hit a button and pulled up a new picture.

"Whoa. Got milf," Jack said jokingly.

On the screen there was a picture of a woman who looked to be middle aged. She was tall, curvy, with a grey streak in long curly black hair, and wearing a red dress. She was quite attractive in Jack's opinion.

"Meet Gothel. A women with a rap sheet as long and as bad as Drago and Pitch," Hiccup informed.

"So three grade A baddies all focused around one sword," Jack said thoughtfully. "You think they're all working together?" he asked.

"Not sure about Gothel. She could be a competitor. But let's assume worst case scenario that they are," Hiccup said.

"Nice job Sherlock Haddock. So you think they'll go after the sword again?" Jack asked.

"Possibly."

"Should we get it before them?" Jack asked.

Hiccup sighed. "I'd rather avoid stealing a historical piece of museum property thank you. For now we do a stake out and see if we can't catch one of our baddies red handed," he proposed.

"All right, so one more question," Jack began. Hiccup nodded for him to go ahead. "The distraction worked. We must have chased down that last robot for like an hour. So how come they don't have the sword?" he asked.

Hiccup pursed his lips and rubbed his chin. "No idea. There might possibly be another party involved here," he said with a shrug.

"Supers?" Jack offered.

"Or a competitor," Hiccup pointed out. They both remain silent as they processed these new developments. Then suddenly Hiccup's cell phone rang. Jack watched as he looked at the caller ID. He smirked and guessed who it was when his whole face lit up.

"Is that the future Mrs. Haddock?" he asked jokingly.

Hiccup wiped the smile off his face. "Shut up Jack," he said under his breath before he answered his phone. Jack chuckled.

"Hello?"

* * *

Merida woke up early the next morning in her condo to a cooked breakfast, courtesy of her bestie who'd spent the night. She walked into the kitchen in a pair of sweat pants and a green tank top before digging into her scrambled eggs, bacon, and sausage breakfast. Glancing out the window onto her balcony, complete with a small pool, she saw her friend laying down on a patio chair and sunbathing. She knew Punz was actually absorbing energy for later.

"So Punz. I was thinking about the sword last night. And I think it's too dangerous to leave with the museum," she said to her friend. She glanced up from her meal when she didn't get a response. "Punz, are you listening?" she said a little louder. Still she got no response.

With an annoyed frown she got up and walked outside and looked at her friend. She was in a purple bikini with some matching purple sunglasses and was listening to her Ipod. With her not using her powers her hair was brown and only reached down to just above her shoulders.

Merida put her hands on her hips and stood directly in front of her, blocking out the sun. Her friend finally seemed to notice as she sat up and lowered her shades before removing her ear buds. She looked up at her with a pair of grass green eyes inquisitively.

"Oh, morning Mer," Rapunzel said with a warm smile.

"Yeah, morning Punz. Now as I was saying," she began. Rapunzel listened intently as Merida explained that she thought it best if they take the sword.

"But isn't that stealing?" Rapunzel asked hesitantly.

Merida sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Well yes. But if the sword has been found it won't be safe on display for everyone to see. We have no choice but to take it," Merida said firmly.

Rapunzel didn't like the idea, but she trusted Merida. "If you say so Merida." Merida nodded before going back inside. Rapunzel followed after her. As they sat down to some coffee Merida looked at her phone and bit her lip pensively.

"You want to call him up don't you?" Rapunzel said with a smile. She placed her chin in her hands as she looked at her friend with a smirk.

Merida blushed slightly. "Yes," she mumbled softly.

"Well why don't you then? I'd love to meet him," Rapunzel encouraged.

Merida thought about it for a moment before picking up her phone and dialing Hiccup. It range three times before he answered.

"Hello?" came his voice on the other end.

"Hey Hiccup. It's Merida," Merida said. She palmed her face. Of course he'd know that. Caller ID.

"Oh hey Mer. Good morning and how are you?" he asked.

"Oh I'm fine. I'm just calling to see if everything is ok. Especially since you kind of ran out last night."

There was a sigh on his end. "Yeah, I'm really sorry about that. My idiot best friend was having some mechanical problems," he explained. Merida could have sworn she heard an indignant 'Hey!' in the background.

"Oh it's ok. Coincidentally my own best friend flew into town last night and I had to go pick her up," she said as she smiled at a giggling Rapunzel.

"Huh, no kidding?" he said amused. "So anyway. Now that I have you, I was wondering if you wanted to do something today?"

Merida perked up, intrigued at the prospect of going on a date with Hiccup again. "Really now? What did you have in mind?" she asked curiously.

"Well there's an ice hockey game today around 2. Unfortunately I already made plans with my friend for later on tonight, but I thought maybe you'd want to go with me?" he offered. "Unless you don't like hockey?" he asked quickly.

Merida giggled lightly. "No that sounds fine. But do you mind if I bring a friend?" she asked looking to Rapunzel who was practically bouncing up and down in excitement.

"Sure. Should I pick you up or do you want to meet there?"

"We'll meet you there," she said enthusiastically.

"Great, it's a date then," he said, a smile evident in his tone.

"Bye Hiccup," she said sweetly.

"Bye Merida," he said before her hung up.

Rapunzel squealed giddily. "Yes, I get to meet the famous Hiccup who can make even Merida blush," she cried in excitement. Merida scowled at her before walking to her room to take a shower. It was a good thing Hiccup had plans for later tonight already. Because that was when Archer and Limelight would steal the sword.

* * *

Hours later Hiccup waited outside the entrance to the arena for Merida and her friend. He wore simple blue jeans with a button up green sports shirt and a leather jacket. He was eager to see Merida again. He only wished he could spend more time with her, but he and Jack had agreed to stake out the museum later tonight after his game.

"Hiccup!" Suddenly came a shout from behind. Hiccup smiled and turned to see a beaming Merida walking up to him. She had on blue jeans with a dark green leather jacket and a green scarf. She rushed up and gave him a hug and a peck on his cheek.

"Hey Merida, good to see you," he said with a smile. She blushed and smiled warmly at him.

"Oh and this is my friend Rapunzel," she said turning and gesturing to a brunet behind him. She was wearing a purple denim jacket with blue jeans and a purple scarf along with purple high heeled boots.

Hiccup smiled in a friendly manner and extended a hand out to her. "Nice to meet you," he said in earnest.

"Nice to meet you too," she said with warm smile while she took his hand. "So you're Hiccup," she said raising an eyebrow.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow of his own and looked at Merida who flushed and looked away shyly. "I guess I am," he said with a shrug. Then he narrowed his eyes he took another look at Rapunzel. "You look familiar," he said curiously.

Rapunzel smirked and shrugged. "I guess I just have one of those faces," she said blankly.

"No, I'm sure I've seen you before," he said as he tapped his chin in thought. And then it hit him. "You're Rachel Punzel," he said in amazement. "The supermodel."

Rapunzel chuckled, "Guilty," she said heartily.

Hiccup was amazed. How did he not know Merida was friends with Rachel Punzel? "How come you never told me your best friend was Rachel Punzel?" he asked Merida incredulously.

Merida narrowed her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. "Is there a reason that's so interesting Hiccup?" she asked with an edge in her voice.

Hiccup flinched nervously. "Reason, no reason, I just…well….I…just interesting," he started to babble. He couldn't stop and he kept going until Merida had enough of seeing him squirm and kissed him on the cheek. He smiled at her gratefully.

Rapunzel giggled. "Aww, you guys are so cute together," she said adoringly. The couple blushed before Hiccup led them inside. And into seats on the first row.

"So who's your home team Hiccup?" Merida asked to be reminded.

"We're the Berk Vikings," he informed her.

"These are some good seats," Rapunzel piped in. "Perks of being rich I guess."

Hiccup smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Actually its perks of having a friend on the team," he explained. The girls looked at him inquisitively. "My best friend is Jack Overland. And he plays the center position on the team. But when he's on the ice people tend to call him…"

* * *

"JACK FROST! JACK FROST! JACK FROST! JACK FROST! JACK FROST! JACK FROST!" the Berk fans chanted as one of the Berk Vikings scored yet another goal on the opposing team.

Jack smiled and skated across the ice while pumping his fists and smiling to the crowd. Though Jack was rather small in comparison to the average Hockey player his skills on the ice were unparalleled. Being on the ice was second nature to him, as easy as breathing. And in Berk he'd become a fan favorite, practically dominating the rink and always ensuring the Viking's victory.

Outside his Frost persona Jack had brown hair and brown eyes, allowing him to not be recognized. The fans loved him and cheered, wearing Jack Frost tees, holding up homemade fan posters, and just worshiping the ice he skated on.

Jack smiled and glanced over to Hiccup's usual spot to see him sitting next to a red head he assumed to be Merida. They looked to be enjoying themselves as they smiled and talked to each other while Merida had her arm wrapped around his. On Hiccup's other side there was a cute brunette who looked familiar. The brunette seemed to be getting very into the game as she stood in her seat and shouted smack talk at the opposing players.

With a smile Jack leapt back into action. He and the Berk Vikings scored goal after goal. After yet another point Jack skated up to where his friend was sitting.

"Hey Hiccup," he said from behind the boards.

"Hey Jack," Hiccup returned.

"And you must be Merida," he said to the red head. "Hiccup's told me a lot about you," he added at his friend's expense.

Merida smiled and raised an eyebrow as she looked at a blushing Hiccup. "Oh did he now?" She asked curiously. She was very flattered he'd talked about her.

"It's good to meet you," he said with a smirk. She liked to mess with Hiccup too. They would get along just fine. Then he glanced over to the brunette. "Hey there, you must be Merida's friend," he greeted.

Rapunzel nodded. "I'm Rapunzel," she shouted over the crowd.

"Nice to meet you Rapunzel," then he narrowed his eyes at her. "Why do you look familiar?" he asked.

Rapunzel goggled and shrugged.

"FROST!" came a shout from his team mate. Jack turned to see them beckoning him to get back in the game.

"Sorry guys, duty calls. But let's get something to eat after," he suggested, they all nodded before het turned and skated off, back into the game.

"Well he's certainly interesting," Merida said with a smile.

"He's annoying is what he is," Hiccup said with a frown. But then he sighed and his mouth twitched upward into a small smile of his own. "But he's my best friend," he said shrugging an arm.

"I think he's cute," Rapunzel said aloud. Merida and Hiccup glanced over at her curiously. Rapunzel noticed them and turned to them with a blush. "Did I say that out loud?" she asked nervously. They both nodded and smirked before turning their attention back on the game.

Rapunzel did the same. And as she watched the game her eyes were trained on Jack. For she hadn't been lying when she said she thought he was attractive. She bit her lips anxiously and fought back a blush as she watched him play.

* * *

After the game the group had gone to a pizza place recommended by Jack. It was a small restaurant with a cozy and mellow atmosphere perfect for decompressing and having a good time.

"No seriously, why do I know you're face?" Jack asked Rapunzel who was sitting right next to him in a booth. Merida and Hiccup his smiled and suppressed laughter from their own side.

"Oh you know, just one of those faces," Rapunzel said nonchalantly.

"You lie. I know you're lying, I see you're faces," Jack said glaring at Hiccup and Merida who sniggered and snorted at his expense. He didn't like being out of the loop. He was going to go nuts if he didn't figure it out.

Rapunzel giggled alongside them and finally decided to let him know. "Well usually you might see me in a bikini and in a magazine," she hinted.

Jack processed her words and gave her another look. He narrowed his eyes and moved his face closer to hers, getting much into her personal space as Rapunzel fought back a blush. Then it finally dawned on him.

"You're Rachel Punzel," he finally said. Rapunzel nodded in confirmation as Hiccup and Merida finally burst out laughing. "Hiccup, how come you didn't tell me Merida knew Rachel Punzel," Jack demanded.

Hiccup took a breath to get his laughter under control before answering. "Cuz I didn't find out till right before the game," Hiccup replied.

Jack accepted his answer before turning back to Rapunzel and giving her his best smile. "Well it's an honor to meet you Miss Punzel," he said a suave as he could.

Merida and Hiccup rolled their eyes.

"Nice to meet you too Jack," Rapunzel replied.

With a smile Jack turned to address Merida. "By the way Merida, I'm sorry about stealing Hiccup from you the other night. I was having some car trouble and my boy Hiccup is like a wiz with cars," he lied.

But Merida didn't catch the lie and accepted his apology with a nod. "Oh it's no problem. I would have had to go anyway to pick up Punz here anyway," she replied.

With that the group settled back and enjoyed each other's company. They spoke of the game, Jack asked about the progress of the merger and also asked Rapunzel about all the places she'd been on her shoot.

He found her very interesting, not to mention attractive. She was bubbly, friendly, and over all a nice girl. He felt the atmosphere shift into what felt like a double date. And he was enjoying himself. But as the hours passed Jack took a look at his watch.

"Yo Hiccup," he said to grab his friend attention. Hiccup looked up from his food at him. "We gotta get going, if we're going to make our thing," he said vaguely. Hiccup immediately knew what he was referring to. He gave him a subtle nod.

"Jack's right. We got our plans after all," he told Merida.

"Yeah, so de we, right Punz?" Merida asked her friend. Rapunzel nodded.

So Hiccup paid for the bill and the group all walked to their respective vehicles. Rapunzel got in Merida's car and let her say goodbye to Hiccup. But as she waited Jack came over to her window, bending over he peeked his head in.

"So, can I give you a call sometime?" he asked with a sly grin.

Rapunzel flushed slightly before nodding. So Jack handed her his phone and she entered it into his address book. He gave her one last smile and a wink before walking back to his car. He mentally cheered for himself and was sure as hell going to call her. Rapunzel watched him go with a small smile. She liked Jack. She was going to be eagerly awaiting his call.

"So what are you two going to do tonight?" Merida asked Hiccup curiously.

"Eh not much. Just guy stuff, probably go to a bar, get into a bar fight and have to drag the guy back home," he said casually. "How about you?" he asked her.

Merida shrugged. "Just catch up. Maybe watch a movie, eat some junk food, maybe do each other's hair, it'll be like a sleep over," she said lightly. Hiccup nodded. Then they both just stood there and held each other's gaze. Merida smiled before stepping forward. Rising on her tip toes she gave Hiccup and kiss on the lips, which he returned.

Pulling away she whispered into his ear. "Maybe next time we can continue where we left off the other night," she said with a sultry voice. Hiccup pulled back and blushed deeply. Merida only winked before stepping back and into her car. Then she drove off with a smitten Hiccup watching her car disappear with a goofy grin.

"Yo partner," Jack said to pull Hiccup from his daze. "We got business," he reminded him. Hiccup turned to him and nodded. With that both men drove back to their hide out to change into their costumes and go over their plan.

* * *

As soon as Merida and Rapunzel reached her condo they changed into their respective hero outfits. As Merida walked out of her room she saw Rapunzel already changed into her Limelight outfit.

"I'm ready," Rapunzel said with a smile. Merida cocked an eyebrow.

"Um…Punz, I think you're forgetting something," she said pointing to her hair. It was still brown.

"I know, I was just kidding," Rapunzel chuckled out.

Then Rapunzel closed her eyes and cleared her throat. Then she took a breath.

_~Flower gleam and glow~_ she began to sing. Her voice activated the magic in side of her and her brown locks began to glow a brilliant gold.

_~Let your power shine~ _she finished. As she did her hair turned completely gold and lengthened, extending down to her knees.

With her powers fully activated she nodded that she was ready. Merida nodded back and started rechecking her equipment.

"So by the way Merida, I really liked Hiccup," Rapunzel said.

Merida couldn't help but smile. "I know. I like him too," she said honestly.

"Do you think he could be _the one_?" she asked the red head curiously.

Merida flushed and averted her gaze. She started rubbing her hand together nervously. "I don't ken," she said, her accent slipping out in her nervousness. "Ah think…maybe," she said shrugging.

Rapunzel smiled and clapped excitedly for her.

"But now is nae the time for that," she said getting serious. Rapunzel nodded in agreement. Both women then walked out onto Merida's balcony. Rapunzel picked her friend up bridal style before taking to the air and heading toward the museum.

They had a job to do.

* * *

Hiccup and Jack flew over the city side by side on their way to the museum in their super hero guises.

"So I really like Merida man. She's a cool chick," Jack said.

Hiccup smiled underneath his helmet. "I know. She's great," he said in agreement. "And I saw you showing some interest in Rapunzel," Hiccup added.

Frost flushed slightly. "She's a supermodel man. Any guy would be interested," he tried to say to play it off.

"Sure Jack. Whatever you say," Hiccup said with a hint of sarcasm. Then they increased speed as they headed straight for the museum.

Hopefully they could put away a bad person tonight. Maybe three bad people if they were lucky.

* * *

**New chapter. Hope you like so far. Feel free to review and ask questions. And suggets any other superheros based of disney and dreamworks characters you'd like to make a cameo. Deescrive powers and superhero name. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Battle of the Sexes**

"This is so BORING!" Jack said miserably. Both he and Hiccup were atop a building across the street from Berk's museum. They were staking it out in case someone made a move on the sword. And Jack was bored.

Hiccup didn't respond as he kept his eyes on the images within his helmet. He had tapped into the security footage and it was being fed into his helmet. He kept on the lookout for anything strange, taking extra special care to look at the frame over the Sword of Mor'du.

"It's a stakeout Jack. This is what you do on a stake out," he finally responded evenly. Jack huffed and twirled his staff in his hands as he watched the building for anything suspicious. He was really hoping for some action tonight.

"How long should I wait to call Rapunzel?" he asked to make conversation.

Hiccup thought about it for a moment and decided to humor him. "Depends on how much you like her," he said thoughtfully.

"Three days?" Jack offered.

"If you really like her just call her tomorrow," he said with a shrug.

"You don't call a girl the next day man. Then you seem too eager," Jack replied. "That's basic dating 101."

"Well excuse me if I'm a bit out of practice. Haven't had a girlfriend in five years," Hiccup responded dryly. "Seriously Jack. You're an adult. If you like her just call her."

Jack just rolled his eyes. Maybe he would…nah, two days and he'd call. Then his face formed into a mischievous smile. "So what was that last thing Merida said to you before she left," he asked slowly. He smirked as he saw Hiccup's shoulders tense.

"Nothing," he mumbled, embarrassment evident in his tone.

"Didn't seem like nothing. By the way you turned all red. And don't think I didn't see that wink," Jack pressed. He always had fun putting Hiccup on the spot. Watching him squirm was too much fun.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Hiccup stammered out. He was glad he was wearing a helmet. Otherwise Jack would be able to see his embarrassment.

"Oh yes you do you sly dog you," he teased. "You said she's an experience horse rider. I bet there something else she wants to ride," Jack suggested. At this Hiccup had enough. A small missile launcher popped out from his shoulder armor and pointed itself at Jack.

"One more word Frost," Hiccup warned smoothly. Jack just chuckled. Having had enough of teasing his friend and knowing when to back off. Thus the next few minutes passed uneventfully as the duo watched the building in silence. Then within Hiccup's helmet one of the frames cut out for a second before going back to normal. Hiccup furrowed his brows at this and watched. And one by one the other frames began to do the same thing.

Hiccup stood up straight. Jack noticed this and came to stand beside him. "We got something?" Jack asked seriously.

Hiccup nodded. "I think so…lets go."

* * *

I had been relatively easy to break into the museum. Merida was no stranger to having to break into places. Plus she had many a useful gadget for such a thing. And expert lock picker and gadgets that could hack a security door made it as easy as if she were a thief.

When they'd gotten Merida made a point to look out for cameras. As they saw one she would fire an arrow into the wall where the camera was mounted, then arrow would beam a signal into the camera and make it loop and replay the image of its previous scan. If there was a particular hard target she would have Rapunzel fly and float before placing the arrow onto the wall.

Luckily she'd already hacked the motion sensors and deactivated the laser beams beforehand making walking easy as long as they didn't touch anything. Soon enough they were standing before the case containing the Sword of Mor'du. Inspecting it carefully, she saw the black bear symbol on the sheathe near the hilt, confirming its identity.

Beside her Rapunzel shivered a little. Merida glanced over at her. "You were right Mer. I can feel the dark magic coming off this thing. It's definitely not safe out in the open like this," she said as she stared at the sword.

Merida nodded in agreement. Then from her pocket she pulled out a diamond tipped glass cutting tool. Just as she was about to place it on the glass a chill ran up her spine. She originally thought that maybe she was feeling the effects of the sword as well. But Merida wasn't as in touch with magical forces as Rapunzel was. Then she noticed she could see her breath. She realized the temperature had actually dropped around them.

Suddenly a bright light behind them flashed on and both girls jumped in surprise before turning around. Squinting against the light she could make out two men, one dressed in black and red robotic armor and another in a blue hood and a cane staff in his hands. She instantly recognized them as Berk's superheroes, Frost and Night Fury. She cursed inwardly, she'd been hoping they wouldn't run into them.

"What do we have here?" Frost said curiously.

Merida and Rapunzel exchanged a nervous glance. This was not a part of the plan and this situation could be easily misinterpreted. Rapunzel raised her hands to her sides. "I know this looks bad, but this isn't what it looks like," she said hurriedly.

"It looks like you were about to steal a precious piece of museum property," Fury said.

"We aren't thieves," Merida said firmly.

Fury turned his gaze on her. She stared him down as he appeared to be analyzing her. Then he turned his gaze to Rapunzel who flinched and bit her lip nervously.

Inside his helmet his scanners were pulling up information on the mystery women. And a match was found from newspaper clips and live videos. Mainly from Corona City. "Archer and Limelight," he said breaking the silence.

"The heroes from Corona City?" Frost asked in surprise. "What are you guys doing here? And why are you trying to steal the sword?"

"The sword is isnae safe here. It will be safer in uir hans," Archer responded. (She tended to speak in her thicker accent when confronting people as Archer)

"This is our turf ladies. And we can't just have you going around taking things from under our noses," Frost bit back.

A heavy silence fell upon the group as they stared each other down. Unsure of how to proceed. Both groups were heroes who knew of each other by reputation. No one wanted a fight.

"My friend is right. We can't simply turned a blind eye to this," Fury said breaking the silence. "But how about you leave the sword and come with us and let's compare notes. We can watch the sword together," Fury offered calmly.

Rapunzel glanced to Merida for her opinion. Though they were partners she tended to follow Merida's lead. Merida turned to look at Rapunzel. From under her hood Rapunzel could see her friend's eyes flick to the sword and back to her. She gave the tiniest nod in understanding.

Then in a flash Archer pulled and arrow from her quiver and fired it at Frost and Fury. The two of them flinched in surprise but then the arrow arched down to the floor instead. They were confused before the arrow suddenly started to release a thick smokescreen. The two women were obscured from their view and both men heard the sound of breaking glass.

"Frost," Hiccup said sharply.

"Right," he said. With a wave of his cane he commanded the wind to blow and clear the smokescreen. When it had cleared they found the women gone. They ran up to the sword case to find the glass shattered and the sword gone.

"Where'd they go?" Jack growled out in irritation. Hiccup looked around before looking up.

"Give you a clue," he said as he pointed up. Jack looked up to see an air vent popped open. The vent was relatively large. Could probably fit two people. And if you could fly you could probably shoot straight up to the roof.

Frost and Fury exchanged a glance before turning and running to the exit to make a pursuit.

* * *

"Are you sure that was a good idea Archer?" Rapunzel asked. She was carrying Merida as they flew away from the museum. After the smokescreen she shattered the glass of the case before grabbing the sword. Then she looped an arm around her before flying up and through an air vent and to the roof before flying away.

"The sword is too dangerous to be left there Limelight," Merida said. She hadn't wanted to do that either. But those two had no idea how dangerous this sword was. Or how deadly the person who was after was either. It was better with them.

As they skimmed rooftops in a mad attempt to get as far away from the pursuers as possible their path was suddenly blocked by a bunch of ice shards shooting from the sky and in front of them. Setting down both girls turned to see Frost and Fury descending onto their rooftop.

"That wasn't very nice of you guys," Frost said in mock offense. The girls stared them down. Knowing that a fight was probably unavoidable now.

"Last chance ladies," Fury said in warning.

Merida glared. Then slowly she looped the sword through her belt under her cloak. Then she drew an arrow from her quiver and held it at the ready. Fury raised as hand, his palm glowing as he prepared to fire a plasma blast. Beside her Rapunzel's hair started to glow bright as she prepared to fight. She dropped a little and took a battle stance. Frost twirled his staff before holding it with both hands and at the ready.

Then the two groups stared at each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. It came in the form of archer firing an arrow at Fury. Fury's scanners locked on to it and with a slight adjustment of his hand fired a plasma blast at it. The blast and the arrow collided in between the groups and exploded, scattering dust and particles and separating the two groups with a veil of smoke.

Charging forward Frost blew the smoke away with a wave of his cane. Deciding to engage Limelight he fired shards of ice at her. She responded by floating off the ground and to a different rooftop. Frost took to the air and after her, leaving Archer and Fury to fight amongst themselves.

Archer and Fury stared each other down, Archer holding a bow at the ready while Fury held his hands up, his palms facing out towards her and his helmet locked on to her. He really didn't want to have to hurt her. But she asked for a fight, so she'd get it.

Archer let her arrow fly. Fury blasted it with his left hand before firing at her with his other. These blasts were low in power. With enough concussive force to knock someone out. Archer nimbly dodged. Dashing to the right before leaping over an air conditioner for cover. He kept his eyes on the position she'd hidden behind. Waiting for her next attack. Then she popped up with another arrow at the ready. Then she fired.

As Fury was about to fire at it the tip suddenly burst open and sent a net flying at him. He flinched in surprise and was too late to dodge it as it wrapped around him. He saw Archer smile in triumph. But with a growl he activated his wings, the extremely sharp edges sliced through the netting and he took to the air. Hovering above the rooftop for an aerial advantage.

He didn't want to do damage the rooftops so he stuck to his plasma blasts as he fired at Archer again and again. But the woman was agile and fast. Somersaulting, leaping, and vaulting over something and avoiding taking a hit. At one point she leapt to another building. But this one had less cover so Fury assumed she's made the move not knowing she was putting herself into the open. As he flew after her she fired an arrow at him. Instead of blasting it he swerved to the side and let it fly passed him.

Then he straightened out to hover before taking aim again. He was about to return fire when suddenly his suit warned him about an incoming projectile. Confused he was suddenly hit by an explosion on the back of his armor. The force of which was enough to send him to the gorund.

_What the hell?! _He though in shock. How had he been hit? His armor hadn't sustained much damage though as it showed him a diagnostics report. Pushing himself off the ground he got into a kneeling position before looking up. But then suddenly an arrow flew and hit him in the right shoulder. He glanced over and saw the head wasn't a point. It was likely magnetic as it stuck to his armor. Before he could pull it out it released a massive electrical surge, shorting out his armor and disabling it.

"Armor, initiate reboot," he commanded. The armor responded, but it was going to take a minute or two to get back online. From the holes of his helmet he saw archer walk into sight.

"Aam sorry, but thes is fur th' best." She said softly. Fury was actually surprised he could her a hint of regret in her tone. Then she turned to walk away, as she did he thought about the way she talked. Her accent was interesting. It wasn't an English accent, but it was something he knew.

Meanwhile on the other rooftop Frost and Limelight were fighting in close quarters. Limelight was on the defensive and Frost kept coming at her, twirling and lashing out with his cane. He'd become amazingly good at using it over the years. He was so deft with it his skills were on par with martial arts masters.

Limelight was having some difficulty defending against Frost's attacks. Though she was no stranger to close combat she hadn't really been trained to properly fight. Usually her powers were all she needed. Luckily they increased her speed and reflexes to a point where she could mildly keep up.

As she blocked a swing from his staff she threw a jab with her free hand. Frost saw it coming and side stepped her attack. With a twirl of his staff he spun around her and smacked her on the rear before giving her shove forward. She yelped and stumbled forward before turning around with a glare.

Frost only smirked. Not at all remorseful. Her face twisted into a snarl and suddenly her hair began to glow a bright gold before it came to life and started lashing out at him. Frost was surprised but reacted, spinning and backing away he leapt over things and jumped over her hair as it attempted to grab t him.

Then he thrust his palm forward, blowing it back for a moment with the wind and allowing him to hook his cane behind Limelight's right ankle. With a sharp tug he pulled her off her feet and onto her back. He yelped in surprise before hitting the ground, shaking off her impact she craned her head up to see Frost advancing on her.

Thinking quickly she raised a hand up and fired a sun blast at him. Frost was blinded by the light and struck in the chest. Sending him flying off the roof and onto one 50 feet away.

Limelight heard him land with and oomph before flying up to the sky and observing him. She saw and heard him groan and squirm a little. That meant he was ok. A whistle caught her attention and she turned her head to see Archer waving at her from another rooftop. Flying over, Archer leapt off the roof and extended an arm out. Limelight reached a hand out and grasped it before carrying her off and both of them to safety.

"That went well," Limelight said sarcastically. Archer sighed and nodded in agreement. Now they were on the bad side of this city's superheroes.

But they got the sword. Which meant it was safe.

"Limelight, let's find a place to hole up…we're gonna destroy this thing," she said resolutely. That would be for the best. Then no one could get at it even if they were found.

Limelight nodded before gaining altitude and looking for a suitable place to hide where she could use a sun blast to destroy the sword if she had to. Seeing a decent place in the distance she sped towards it.

She really hadn't wanted to fight Frost and Fury. They were supposed to be on the same side. But if what she felt from the sword was as bad as she thought. Then it couldn't be helped.

* * *

**Girls win. Rematch next chap. Place your bets. Hope you like. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Rematch**

"Well we got our asses thoroughly handed to us," Jack grumbled as he watched Hiccup add some modifications to his armor. After the duo's loss by their opponents they dragged themselves home to lick their wounds. Overall they were physically fine, their pride however was bruised.

"Goldilocks sure packed a punch with that blast of hers," he mumbled. "But she was kind of hot," he added thoughtfully.

"Well I'm glad you've found yet another girl to pursue Jack," Hiccup responded sarcastically. "But in case you don't remember they got the sword. They're probably halfway back to Corona city by now and we have no way to track them."

Jack stared at Hiccup. Then his eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint. "Oh don't we?"

Hiccup raised an eyebrow at him. "Something I'm missing," Hiccup asked curiously.

Jack smoothed his expression before looking at his nails casually. "Oh I don't know. I may or may not have placed a tracking device on Blondie during our fight. If you were wondering," he said nonchalantly.

Hiccup perked up before moving to his computer. Hitting a few keys he activated the homing tracking device which beamed a signal back to the base. He pulled up a map of the city and saw the red dot. It was moving, indicating it was likely still on Limelight.

"Well I got to hand it to you Frost, that was actually a smart move of you," Hiccup said impressed.

"Gee Hiccup. No need to sound so surprised. I'm full of good ideas," Jack shot back in mild offense.

Hiccup just chuckled. Looking at the map he saw the dot had stopped. Then he turned back to Jack with a smile on his face. "Feeling up for a rematch?"

Jack looked at him with brown eyes. He'd dropped his disguise when the' come back to the base. But with a smile of his own his eyes flashed and turned an icy blue. Then slowly his hair started to turn white as his skin also paled. The very air around him began to cool as his breath could be seen.

"Definitely," he replied confidently.

* * *

This was ridiculous. Rapunzel, as Limelight, could lift cars. Snap steel cables like string. Bend a tire iron as if it were wet clay. Hell she could bend a steel girder. Yet she couldn't for the life of her break a thin as paper flimsy steel sword?!

Her face was flushed from exertion and her cheeks were puffed out. In her hands was the sword of Mor'du which she'd been trying to bend and break for the last ten minutes. With a breath she gave up before growling and swinging the sword against the ground.

"BREAK! BREAK! BREAK! BREAK! BREAK DAMN YOU!" she howled in between swings. But the sword didn't break. It didn't even look like it had taken any damage. The blade was still perfectly shining, smooth, and unchipped. With a growl she threw the sword to the ground. Aiming her hands at it she gathered her energy and fired a sun blast at it. Putting in enough power for her to cut through and melt steel.

After a few seconds she stopped. Smoke wafted out of the ground. Looking carefully she saw she reduced the ground around the sword to a smoldering mess. But the sword still looked undamaged. It wasn't even slightly red from the heat. Tentatively she picked it up.

"This thing isn't even hot! What the hell is it made out of?" she asked in disbelief. She looked to her friend who stood there pensively. Trying to think of their next move.

They'd found an old empty warehouse of some old factory. They entered with the intent to destroy the sword. Immediately they set it down before stepping back. Then Merida fired an explosive arrow at it. Planning to reduce it to nothing. But upon inspection they saw the sword hadn't been damaged. With that she told Rapunzel to do it, who she hoped with her super strength could break it in half. Or melt it.

"I don't know. It could be the magic in it," Merida proposed. It wasn't unheard of for magical items to be enchanted to the point of near indestructibility.

"Well now what?" Rapunzel asked looking to her.

"I guess we have no choice but to keep it," Merida replied with a shrug. "I can lock it up when we get to Corona City."

"And Frost and Fury?" Rapunzel asked nervously.

"We stay low and under the radar. They won't be able to find us and eventually we'll leave with the sword," Merida said firmly. It's sounded like a good plan. It's not like they could be found so easily.

Suddenly the doors to the factory were flew open and an icy wind blew throughout the entire factory. The women covered their eyes from the stinging wind until it settled. And looking to the doors was the very superheroes they'd been hoping to never see again.

"Found you," Frost said with a proud smirk.

Both girls were chocked. How had they been found? They were sure they hadn't been followed. Merida glanced over to Rapunzel and then she noticed something on her back. Reaching a hand out, she plucked off a tracking device. Rapunzel turned and noticed it. She groaned in annoyance and realized Frost had probably put it on her during their fight.

Merida glared at the two heroes before dropping the device and crushing it under her heel.

"Nice to see you again ladies," Frost said with a grand mocking bow. "Now hand over the sword," he said firmly.

"We cannae dae 'at," Merida responded.

"This is your last chance ladies. You're in our city. Now if you want to, we can work together to stop whatever it is that's coming, but only if you give us the sword," Fury said icily.

Merida grabbed the sword from Rapunzel before looping it through her belt.

"We beat you guys last time in case you don't remember. What make you think this time will be any different," Rapunzel challenged.

"Oh we're ready now. Chivalry gloves are off," Frost shot back.

Merida drew an arrow. But Frost reacted quicker. He summoned up a powerful wind and directed it at the two of them. Both girls had to hold up their arms to keep from being blinded. Suddenly a plasma blast at Merida's feet knocked her back.

"Archer," Limelight cried in worry. But before she could do anything to help an ice shard flew past her face. She turned to see Frost flying directly toward her.

"Round two Blondie," he called out. Rapunzel cursed inwardly before floating off the ground and flying in the opposite direction with Frost in pursuit.

Once again this left Archer and Fury to face off. Getting to her feet she glared at Fury.

"Looks like it's just you and me again," he said with a shrug.

"Yoo're nae mah type," Archer spat at him.

_Ouch. Like I haven't heard that before_, Fury thought to himself. Archer suddenly drew an arrow and fired at him. To her surprise Fury didn't even attempt to move. He simply held up his right hand. And suddenly the arrow collided with something and exploded. Archer's eyes widened in surprise. And narrowing her eyes she could make out a faint shimmering half sphere around Fury.

"Kinetic Energy barrier," Fury explained casually to enlighten her. "You're arrows aren't going to be able to touch me now," Fury said confidentially as he began advancing on her.

Archer growled in annoyance before drawing another arrow. They'd just have to see about that.

* * *

Outside the warehouse Frost and Limelight were shooting at each other as they floated and sailed through the air. Limelight fired off sun blast that Frost would nimbly dodge while he returned fire with ice shards that she would dodge or blast.

Thinking of a way to turn the tide Frost began calling forth the wind. He increased it and directed it in a downward current above Limelight. The power of the wind sent her off balance but she remained airborne. Narrowing his eyes he added more power until eventually he sent her tumbling toward the ground.

Limelight hit the ground hard. But not enough to injure her while using her power. As she stood up the wind suddenly picked up and lifted her off the ground, trapping her in a vortex and sending the world spinning until finally it stopped and blew, slamming her into the side of the factory.

It blew against her, holding her in places as Frost began laying on a thick sheet of ice in front of her. He swept his cane back and forth in front of her until he froze her against the wall. When he that he'd successfully trapped her he smiled before stopping the wind and lowering to float right in front of her.

Trapped against the wall Limelight squirmed and attempted to get free. This ice was strong. She couldn't get quite the leverage she needed at this angle. But she kept trying.

"Sky is my turf Blondie," Frost said as he floated down into her line of sight. She stopped struggling for a moment to glare at his smug smile. "As long as I got the wind on my side I never lose in a dog fight."

Limelight kept up her glare before focusing some of her energy to her right hand. Intent on melting the ice enough to break free. As she did this, Frost moved little bit closer to her. Bringing his face within a few inches of her own. She couldn't help but flush slightly at his proximity.

"You know, you're really cute," he said with a sly grin. Limelight flinched in surprise before bristling. Was he really trying to hit on her in the middle of a fight? Was he that cocky? "What do you say me and you—," he began before being cut off.

He was cut off as Limelight had finally had enough. Having melted enough ice she yanked her arm free before quickly reaching out and grabbing Frost by the front of his hoodie. She yanked him closer with a snarl on her face.

Frost realized he'd probably provoked the bear a little too much this time. He'd been caught of guard as she suddenly pulled her arm free and grab him. And though he squirmed he wasn't going anywhere. She had one hell of a grip.

Things got worse for him as she flexed and burst free of the ice trapping her. She glared into Frost's eyes, hers a fierce golden glow underneath her mask. Frost chuckled nervously under her gaze.

"Can't we talk about this?" he offered weakly.

Limelight's face twisted into annoyance and her other hand began to glow.

_Oh shit!_

* * *

Archer growled in frustration inside the factory. She was hidden behind some machinery as she took steadying breaths to gather her nerves. She'd been trying uselessly to shoot Fury with her arrows. But every time that damn barrier of his would protect him before he would return fire. She was stating to run low on arrows and was forced to hide to think of a plan.

Fury walked cautiously through the factory. His scanners searching for any sign of his opponent. His kinetic energy barrier was just the thing he needed. Now she couldn't surprise him again with any arrow.

Switching his scanner to infrared he swept his head back and forth for a heat signature. He saw it when he made out a form hiding behind a piece of machinery. Raising a hand up, he increased the power of his plasma blast and fired at it.

Archer dived out from behind the machine before firing an explosive arrow at him. But she set it to explode before impact. So when it did the heat from the explosion temporarily blinded Fury.

Blinded he attempted a few wild shot at her. He heard a yelp on his last shot and blinked to clear his vision. Coming out of infrared mode he saw Archer's form on the ground. He wondered if he'd knocked her unconscious.

He hoped he had, his fire power had been set to low so he shouldn't have been able to kill her even if he wanted to. Slowly he walked over to her. She was on her side with her back facing toward him. Hesitantly he kneeled down and nudged her with her hand.

He didn't get a response. Growing concerned he grabbed her by the shoulder and rolled her over. But as he did she suddenly sprung to life before quickly planting an arrow against his shoulder.

"Aha," Archer cried triumphantly. She tricked him by playing possum. It was a gamble but it had paid off. Soon her arrow would disable his suit like last time. But as the arrow beeped signaling it was about to activate it suddenly sparked and sputtered before falling to the ground.

"Hmm. I told you you're arrows wouldn't work on me anymore," Fury said with a snort. As Archer was still recovering from her surprise he reached a hand out placed it on her shoulder. In the next moment he activated the Taser feature on his finger's sending electricity into her body with the equivalent volts of a common Taser.

Archer twitched and spasmed painfully and wildly as the electricity coursed through her body and made her muscles jerk and lock. Soon it stopped. Leaving her stunned and at the mercy of Fury who sat her up and fired a bola from a launcher on his armor. But not before removing her quivers and throwing her bow across the room.

"Sorry about that," he said, though not all that convincingly. _Well that's one. Now where is-_

His train of though was interrupted by Frost suddenly crashing through the warehouse window. He hit the ground and rolled to disperse the blow before looking up where he'd come in.

"Having trouble there Frost?" Fury asked in amusement. Frist turned to look at him. Panic evident in his face.

"She's a lot stronger then she looks," he said frantically. Then he turned back up to the window to see Limelight floating through. She took in the scene and saw her partner incapacitated. Her fury grew as she grit her teeth and glared at both Frost and Fury before touching down.

Rapunzel, while not as hot tempered as he partner, was not one to you'd wish to anger. Luckily she was slow to enrage. But when her ire was sufficiently roused, she was the one of the pair you should be afraid of.

With a growl she started stomping forward. Frost's eyes widened in fear as he shot ice shards at her. But as she advanced the ice shard made contact before shattering against her skin. Growing ever more panicked her fired spiked in front of her to slow her down. But she simply shattered them with a sideways swipe of her hand.

Within swinging distance of Frost she cocked back a fist. Frost raised his staff and formed an ice wall in front of him. Throwing her fist forward she broke it down effortlessly.

As a last resort Frost summoned his icy powers before throwing all he had at her. He covered her in layers of ice, hoping to freeze her. It managed to slow her down as the ice began setting in a spreading to completely cover her frame. Her fist froze a few inches from Jack's nose when he released a sigh in relief.

Catching his breath he turned to look back and Fury and gave a thumbs up. But his stomach dropped when he heard the faint sound of ice cracking. Turning back around he noticed the cracks forming along ice encasing Limelight. They splintered and spread while a faint golden glow began coming from within the ice.

Frost's eyes grew wide and he took to the air right as the ice exploded off Limelight in a golden burst of energy. Covering his face from stray shards of ice he couldn't stop the long locks of hair as they wrapped around his staff.

Then they pulled him downward. Frost refused to let go of his staff as he was yanked and slammed into the ground. Groaning he looked up into the face of a furious looking Limelight. He chuckled nervously before Limelight grabbed her hair and began swinging him around in a circle above her head.

"FURY...HELP…ME…RED…ALERT!" he cried as he was swung around. Then the hair unwrapped around his staff sending him flying into a wall of the warehouse. He smacked into the wall hard before falling off it and to the ground face first.

Fury, who'd been watching the whole time, was mildly amused. He'd probably done something to piss her off. But still…, "Tag in Frost?" he offered. Frost remained motionless on the ground. Then slowly he raised a shaky arm up before giving him the thumbs up sign.

Fury took that as a yes before directing his attention to Limelight. He activated his thrusters and wings and flew at her. This drew her attention to him just as he came down to land in front of her. But as he did he used the momentum of his fall to strike her with downward punch with his left.

Her knee bent slightly but she didn't go down. Activating a small rocket in his elbow he swung his right hand up and into her stomach, knocking the air out of her. Then he spun clockwise to get momentum before striking her with the back of his fist. He didn't like hitting women, but the hammers of justice were unisex.

Then presenting both his palms toward her he fired two plasma blasts. The force of which sent her flying across the room and into a piece of machinery with such an impact that she actually dented it.

He watched her, thinking maybe he'd done it. But then his scanners picked up a spike in energy coming from her. A golden glow surrounded her as she pulled herself from the wreckage of the machine. Then she lifted her head up to glare at him before cracking her neck.

"That's not good," Fury said, growing ever more worried. He stood at the ready as he waited for an attack. Then Limelight leapt into the air and toward him. Her arms were raised above her head and her hands were clasped together. As she came down he activated his wings and thrusters before jumping back quickly.

As Limelight came down she slammed her fists against the ground with such force that it opened up a crater, scattering dust and bits of the stone floor everywhere. Fury was definitely getting worried now. She was A LOT stronger than she looked.

From the veil of smoke Limelight suddenly leapt out at him. Fury stood his ground and grabbed her hands as she attempted to grab him. Now it was strength against strength as they tried to overpower the other. Increasing the power of his suit with his plasma core he began pushing her back. Slowly he forced her hands to her sides and got her into a kneeling position.

He could see the strain in her face as she attempted to push back against him. Beads of sweat formed on her brow as her arms shook. But it looked like he was stronger.

He was wrong.

Her hair began to glow brighter as she glared into his eyes with shining golden eyes. Then slowly she began to push back. Rising up from her kneeling position she began to overpower him as she steadily began to push him to his knees.

"Uh oh."

Limelight suddenly yanked him forward before kneeing him in the stomach. Even with his armor he felt it a little. Then she grabbed him by the back of the helmet before slamming his head into the ground. Next thing he knew something tugged on his right leg and he was being spun in a circle, hitting machinery along the way.

"OW…OW…OW…OW…OW," he said as he collided with the old factory equipment. His suit was starting to sustain some damage now. He might really lose at this rate…or die.

Suddenly the hair yanked downward sending him to the ground. He groaned before rolling onto his back and craning his neck up to see an enraged Limelight stalking toward him. Nostrils flaring, face in a snarl, eye aglow, he was a little terrified.

But Limelight was so focused on him that she didn't see the steady trail of ice making its way across the factory floor to spread before her path. Unaware she stepped onto it and lost her balance. She flailed and wheeled her arms in surprise in an attempt to stay upright. That was when Fury acted.

Activating his thrusters on his feet he slid across the floor and toward her. Colliding with her feet he sent her spinning as he slid past and she landed on her back. Before she could get up Fury landed on her. He pinned her right hand under his left foot and pressed his left knee against her chest. She swung at him with her free hand but he caught her fist with his right palm. Before she could do anything else he pressed his left palm against her chest.

She gasped in surprise before willing her hair to grab at him. It started to entangle him before it suddenly started going slack. He smiled as he noticed her eyes beginning to droop as her struggling started to cease.

"What are you doing?" she breathed out.

"Draining off some of your energy," Fury explained. After a few more moments her struggling ceased all together. He was glad he added that energy syphoning modification to his suit. He stepped off her wrapping her in some high strength wire. In her weakened condition she couldn't break free.

A groan suddenly caught his attention as he turned to see Frost up and trudging his way over to him. "Good job partner," he said weakly, his head still ringing.

"Thanks," Fury replied. "Appreciate the assist with the ice."

Frost smiled and nodded. Then he turned his head to see Archer still entangled and unable to get free. "I see you got the British chick," Frost pointed out.

"Scottish," Fury automatically corrected, suddenly he recognized the accent.

Frost nodded, not really caring. For safety measures he started encasing Limelight in ice to make sure she wouldn't break free and try to kill them.

"Now what?" Frost asked.

Fury scratched the back of his helmet when an idea struck him.

* * *

Archer and Limelight sat back to back in front of the captors. Archer glared at them while Limelight looked nervous. Fury and Frost stared them down. Arms crossed over their chests.

"I'm sorry ladies. We tried to work with you instead of against you but you didn't give us a choice," Fury said. Then he released a sigh. "Now I would just tell you to go back to Corona City and leave Berk to us, but I don't think you'd listen."

Archer and Limelight didn't know where he was going with this. He was right though. They wouldn't just leave. Not while the sword of Mor'du was here.

"So we have no choice but to blackmail you into leaving," Fury finally said. Both women's eyes widened in shock as Frost stepped forward. He quickly pulled back Archer's hood and ripped her mask off before pulling off Limelight's as well.

Fury had to suppress as gasp. He'd been planning on using his facial recognition software to find out who they were. But he didn't need to. He couldn't believe it.

"Merida Dunbroch," he said softly. He was glad he was wearing a helmet, otherwise the recognition probably would have shown on his face. Frost was just as surprised. But he suppressed a gasp.

Glancing over he really didn't have to use his software to guess who the other woman was. But a scan confirmed it.

"Rachel Punzel," he said. Said woman flinched in shock and paled. He looked at the both of them. He couldn't stay here. He had to go before he did something crazy.

"We know who you are. So cut the hero stuff in our town and head home. Or else," Frost said icily, sensing his partner about to break. With that Fury quickly cut through their ties before he and Frost turned their back on them and left.

Merida glared after them. She cursed at her identity being compromised. Now they had no choice but to back off. Lest their identities be revealed.

* * *

On their way back to the base Fury's thought and emotion were in a turmoil. Merida was Archer. MERIDA! WAS! ARCHER! What was he supposed to do with this information? How could he pretend not to know this?

"Brrrrrr," Frost shivered beside him.

Fury turned to look at him in surprise. "Did you just shiver?" he asked incredulously.

Frost nodded before looking to the sword in Fury's hand. "It's the dark magic coming off the sword man. I can feel it, and it gives me the chills. And if can do that to **me**...its best we don't take it back to the museum," he suggested.

Fury mulled it over and sighed. He was probably right. First off, the guards were probably aware it was gone by now. So if they brought it back they would probably be blamed. Or Archer and Limelight would. Plus if it was as bad as they said and even gave Frost the chills…and there were three bad guys after it…

"Alright. We'll keep it in the vault," he decided. Frost nodded, but he kept his eyes on him. Fury noticed this and turned to look at him. "Something wrong?"

"Well…what are you gonna do about this," Jack asked Hiccup. Hiccup sighed. He didn't know. He really liked Merida, but relationships were already complicated enough as it is. Especially for him. Being a superhero and a billionaire**. **

He already had enemies just being Henry Haddock. He didn't need Night Fury's enemies going after someone he cared about too.

With a heavy heart he knew what he had to do. He just didn't like it.

But it was for the best.

Or at least that's what he told himself.

* * *

**New chapter. Hope you like. Don;t piss off Rapunzel. Rapunzel smash!**


	6. Chapter 6

**When one door closes**

As Merida walked through the building of Haddock industries headquarters she was in a foul mood. First there was the fact that she and Limelight had lost their fight with Fury and Frost while they took the sword of Mor'du. Then there was the fact that her secret identity was compromised. Who knew what Fury would do with this information on her? He could extort her for company secrets for all she knew.

Her rage boiled at the thought of that Fury. She hated that man. All smug with his fancy armor. Then he had the audacity to blackmail her into backing off the sword and cease her hero activities while in his city. Merida hated when people gave her orders. Who did that man think he was?

But with his knowledge of her identity she and Limelight had no choice. And three days after their fight they had kept a low profile and done as he said.

But what really bothered her was that she hadn't been able to reach Hiccup in the last few days. She tried calling him to schedule a date, thinking that was just the thing that would cheer her up, but he hadn't responded. He hadn't even come in to discuss the terms of the merger, he just sent his executives to speak with her. When she questioned his secretary she only said that Hiccup was indisposed and handling a 'personal matter'. It bothered her, she couldn't help but feel like she was being avoided.

Like she had done for the last few days she walked to Hiccup's office to see if he was there that day. She came up to his secretary and asked to speak with him. To her glee she said he was in today. So Merida walked past her and to his office door. She paused just outside his door to fluff up and brush stray hairs out of her face. Then she straightened her clothes out and took a breath before putting on her best smile.

Then she pushed open the door. She didn't see the need to knock since they were going to be partners in the future. And maybe something more. With a smile she walked up to Hiccup's desk. Hiccup's office had a large stain glass window and the size could be used to double for business meetings. At his desk she could see Hiccup deep in work, looking over documents and checking things on a computer screen.

"Hey stranger," she greeted playfully.

Hiccup, apparently just noting her presence, looked up from his work at her. He set his papers down before looking up at her with a tight smile. "Hello Merida," he said evenly.

Merida raised an eyebrow slightly noticing his odd behavior. He seemed…different. It's like he wasn't as cheery to see her as usual.

"So did you take care of your 'personal business'?" she inquired.

Hiccup kept his face neutral. "Yes…I did," he answered blankly.

Merida furrowed her brows. There it was again. Smiling wide she leaned over the desk slightly to look into his eyes. "So anyway, I was wondering if you were free. I haven't seen you in a couple of days and I thought we could spend some time together," she offered. "Dinner would be lovely."

Hiccup stared at her blankly. Then with a sigh he stood up. He kept his face stoic as he held her gaze. "Actually Merida, I've been doing some thinking," he began. He paused to take a breath, determined to finish his statement. "And I think we should stop…this," he said gesturing between them both.

Merida was stricken by surprise. "Woot?" she asked in shock as she stood up to look at him.

"Yeah. Relationships are complicated enough. But they're even more so for people like _us," _he explained. Merida of course would never understand the double meaning when he said _us._

"But Hiccup…I thought…well we…I," Merida stammered out. Not knowing where to begin. She couldn't understand where this was coming from. They'd been having so much fun. They'd been connecting so well. What could have happened to make him suddenly decide this?

"I hope this won't interfere with the merger Merida," he interrupted. His heart clenched as he saw the hurt in her face. His stomach churned as he watched her pained eyes looked into his. Helpless. Confused.

But he kept his gaze trained on her. He clenched his jaw and kept his feature smooth. He had to do this. This was for the best.

Merida saw the firmness in his eyes. He meant what he said. Her heart sank as she released a sad sigh. But she squared her shoulder and looked into his eyes. "Of course not Hiccup," she said with a nod. "Excuse me," she said under her breath as she tore her eyes away and walked out of the room as fast as possible.

Hiccup watched her walk away. Knowing he'd possible just ended the best thing that had ever happened to him. After discovering her identity he contemplated calling off the merger altogether. But he decided against it as there was so much good that could come of it. But he remained firm that he couldn't stay with Merida. Not with enemies coming at him from both sides.

He sank back in his chair and his shoulders sagged. His mind kept replaying the look of devastation he had to witness when he'd told her it was over. But he swallowed deep. He pushed his pain down to the deepest pits of his heart.

It wasn't like they were actually a couple yet. And Merida was…well Merida. She would bounce back in no time.

She was rich, beautiful, intelligent, and a fantastic woman. She would get another guy as soon as she wanted.

* * *

Merida hated romance movies. With a passion. Especially those involving the female character getting her heartbroken, by some guy who's obviously an idiot and not worthy of her, and then gorging herself on ice cream and junk food to sooth the pain. She'd always yell at the screen, telling her to 'suck it up'.

But now, as she sat there watching a movie in which a girl just got her heart broken and eats her own gallon of cookies and cream ice cream…she totally gets it. She could now empathize with this poor girl who had her heart ripped out and stepped on. And as she shoveled down spoonfuls of her frozen treat in an attempt to quell the lancing hurt that coursed through her chest every time she thought about Hiccup, she attempted to hold back tears. The ice cream seems to momentarily fill that hole that he just ripped out of her heart.

Beside her, Rapunzel was staring wide eyed as she indulges in junk food. Rapunzel was the one who suggested a movie in an attempt to get Merida back to her old self. But she never imagined this.

"Wow Mer. I've never seen you like this over a guy before," Rapunzel pointed out. Merida only sniffled before shoveling another spoonful into her mouth. Then she mumbled something around her spoon that her friend couldn't make out.

"I'm sorry, what?" Rapunzel asked.

Merida swallowed a mouthful of ice cream. "It hurts so bad Punz," she muttered miserably.

Rapunzel's heart goes out to her friend. She couldn't believe what she told when she gotten home. That Hiccup had ended their relationship. She was shocked. She'd seen them getting along so well the other day. They'd had been so into each other.

"So that's all he said? That being rich and owners of your companies would complicate things too much?"

Merida nods. "But that can't be it. Can it?" she asked looking to her friend desperately. She wanted to understand why? Is it really because of the reasons he explained. If it was, why now?

"What did I do wrong Punz?" Merida asked aloud.

Rapunzel pursed her lips. She tried to think of something to say. Anything that might help ease Merida's pain. "Well…you do tend to come on a little strong Mer," Rapunzel pointed out weakly. Merida looked at her and coked her head to the side. "Maybe he was intimidated," she finished with a shrug. But as the words left her mouth she realized that they might have not been the best thing to say.

Because now Merida was going to think that it was her.

Her words hit Merida like a punch to the face. Was it because she showed too much interest? "But Hiccup did nae seem to mind," she said. Thinking back she remembered Hiccup seemed to like her taking charge.

With a sad whine she rolled onto her side and clutched her ice cream to her chest. Rapunzel could only watch helplessly, unsure of what to do.

"You want me to go throw his car into the ocean?" she said in a light joke. Merida shook her head in rejection. She hasn't stooped so low to be petty.

Rapunzel sighed and turned to back to watching the movie. She would do what she could for Merida. Hopefully she could offer her support and her company. And then maybe Merida would get over Hiccup and go back to her old self.

* * *

"Dude…you broke up with her?" Jack asked beside Hiccup as he sat at the computer in their base. He could tell Hiccup is heartbroken. He may have seemed solely engrossed and focused in his work, but Jack knew that he was trying to distract the aching in his heart by engaging his mind.

Toothless could sense it too as he laid his head on his master's lap to provide some comfort. "Yes Jack. Why is that's so hard to understand," Hiccup asked in annoyance.

Jack stood there, unsure of what to say. "But, you liked her so much," he reminded him.

"Yeah, I do," Hiccup said shortly. "But are live are way too complicated."

Jack pursed his lips as he tried to think of something to say. "Dude, I think you're overthinking things," Jack offered. Hiccup glanced over at him and raised an eyebrow. "I mean, when I was with the guardians, me and Tori dated. And yeah, as superheroes our enemies tried to use us against each other, but as heroes we were strong enough to take them down," Jack explained.

"But you guys only had people coming at you from one side Jack," Hiccup argued. "Frost and Hummingbird had enemies. But Tori and Jack didn't. You were safe outside of costume. I'm not. Neither is Merida," he explained.

"So you're doing this to protect her? Cuz she didn't seem like she needed much protection. As herself or Archer," Jack shot back.

Hiccup frowned up at him. He appreciated what he was trying to do but he didn't want to his this right now. "We're done talking about this Jack," he growled as he turned back to the computer. Jack opened his mouth to argue but Hiccup cut him off with a short and decisive, "Done."

Jack scowled down at his stubborn friend. That was Hiccup's problem. He went with his head to much. And as brilliant as his mind might be sometime he had to go with what he felt. With a sigh Jack backed off.

"Alright," he said shrugging. "I'm going out on patrol." With that he turned and walked away to leave his friend to his work.

Hiccup sighed at the computer screen as he continued trying to find a way to pinpoint Drago and Pitch's location. But all the while his thoughts of Merida plagued him.

"Focus damn it. Just let it go. Let her go. The city needs Night Fury right now," he commanded himself.

* * *

As Jack flew over the city as Frost he thought about Hiccup. His friend hadn't had some special in a long time. He felt bad for him. Hiccup was a good guy. He was always willing to do the right thing, even if it cost him his happiness. Jack would never admit it, but he greatly respected that about him. If he were in Hiccup's shoes he probably wouldn't have done what he did.

"SOMEBODY HELP!" suddenly came a shout. Jack snapped to attention. Stopping in midair he turned and tried to pinpoint the scream.

"PLEASE! I NEED HELP HERE!" came another shout. Jack pinpointed it coming from an alley. As fast as he could he flew over to it. When he got there he found a group of young women, he noticed that about five of them were huddled in a circle and kneeling around what looked like bodies. He feared the worst as he touched down.

"Is everything ok," he said to announce his presence.

The girls all turned to look at him. "Frost," one of them cried in relief. "Please, they need help," she said gesturing to the bodies. Jack rushed forward. The girls moved aside to let him get a look.

The good news is that they weren't dead bodies. But what he saw was the bad news either.

* * *

Hiccup sat in silence in the base having had no luck in an attempt to find Drago and Pitch. He aimlessly stroked Toothless' head as he contemplated his next move.

"Fury," came a voice from his earpiece.

Hiccup raised a finger to press the button on the earpiece to respond. "Go ahead."

"Come to Berk Downtown Hospital. Like now," Frost said firmly.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong? Drago?" he asked.

"Just…you're going to want to see this," was all Frost said.

Hiccup furrowed his brow in confusion at his answer. But standing up he responded. "On my way."

* * *

Frost waited anxiously for his partner to arrive. He could hardly believe what he saw. It had to be magic. He could feel it. Dark magic. And these poor girls.

"Frost," came a familiar voice. Frost turned to see Fury walking down the hall of the hospital. People stooped and stared as he passed and some rushed to get out of his way. Frost turned to see his partner. He stepped to the side before opening a door to a hospital room.

"In here."

Fury stepped inside before Frost came in after him. Inside the hospital room were two beds. Both holding a patient. As Fury looked them over he raised an eyebrow. They were two women. Old women at that. Greying hair, wrinkles galore, what was so special? They were hooked up to machines and appeared to be unconscious as their chest fell and rose steadily.

"This is what you called me down here for?" he asked gesturing to the two old women skeptically.

Frost looked him in the eye. His face serious. Fury knew that what he was about to say was not a joke. "That one is 21," he said pointing to the one on the left. "And that one is 23," he said pointing to the other on the right.

Underneath his helmet Fury's eyes widened in shock. He took another look at them. How could girls in the early twenties look like that? It was impossible.

"Were there scans? Maybe something happened. Let me take a look at—"

"This isn't science partner," Frost said cutting him off. Fury stopped and looked into his eyes. "This is magic. Some pretty bad and powerful stuff. Their life force has been sucked out of them, turning them into this," he said gesturing to them.

Fury was at a loss. He didn't know what to do. Frost didn't know either. That's why he'd called Fury down. He was always the idea man.

Fury racked his brain for a solution. And it came. Frost noticed this.

"Got an idea?" he asked curiously.

Fury nodded. "We need help."

* * *

Rapunzel was on her friend's laptop as Merida watched yet another sad romance movie and ate a packet of Oreos. If she didn't stop soon she was going to get fat. But now didn't seem like a good time to tell her that.

She was contemplating melting Hiccup's tires for what he did when Merida's computer started bugging out. She furrowed her brows in confusion when suddenly a whole bunch a zeros and ones appeared on the screen.

"Uhm. Merida…I think I broke your laptop," Rapunzel called out. Merida turned to look at her and cocked an eyebrow. Her computer was custom made and one of the highest quality in the world. She got up from her couch and walked over. She bent down beside Rapunzel as they both watched the screen.

"You've been hacked," came a familiar voice. They both gasped and jumped back in surprise. "We need Archer and Limelight to come to the top of Berk Downtown Hospital now," it said. "It's urgent." With that the screen went back to normal.

Both women exchanged a glance. That had been Fury. No doubt about that. And he was calling them out. They thought about not going but the last part about it being urgent spurred them into running to get changed. Within a few minutes they were in costume and ready. Heading to her balcony Merida allowed Rapunzel to pick her up before the both took to the air.

* * *

Frost and Fury waited anxiously on the hospital's roof. Fury figured that the only person who could help the two women was Limelight. He'd heard that one of her powers was healing people. Hopefully she could heal this.

He'd hacked Merida's computer since he knew she would obviously still be in the city. And even if Limelight wasn't she would probably have the means to reach her.

"They're here," Frost said pointing to the sky with his staff. Fury looked up to see Limelight and Archer coming straight for the roof. They waited as they landed on the roof and Limelight set Archer down. Then they all stood in awkward silence.

Hiccup gulped underneath his helmet. Seeing Merida as Archer again was weird. Especially since he broke up with her.

"Well?" Archer said impatiently.

Fury shook his head to focus. This wasn't the time for that. "Thank you for coming," he said honestly. "Something has happened. Something we need your help with," he began.

"Yoo've got a lot ay nerve askin' fur uir help," Archer hissed at him.

Fury took a breath to stay calm. Damn Merida. Fiery as always. "I wouldn't have called you if we didn't seriously need it. More specifically you Limelight," he said looking to the blonde.

The woman cocked her head to the side curiously.

"There are some women who could use your help. If not for us, then for them," he pleaded. He figured she wouldn't refuse. Even if she hated him, she was a hero. Helping the innocent was what they did.

He watched as she seemed to mull it over. She was probably trying to tell if he was lying or not. But eventually she relented. "Ok. Lead the way," she said firmly. Fury nodded and motioned for them both to follow.

* * *

Inside the room of the two women the heroes stood in silence as Limelight stood in front of their beds. They saw her fists clench and unclench at her sides and her hair flash in what Archer knew was anger.

"Gothel," Limelight muttered under her breath with venom.

"So you know what happened?" Fury asked.

Limelight nodded. "Gothel happened. An enemy of mine and a witch. She has this bad habit of stealing the youth of others," she explained. "You were right to call me. I'm probably the only person who can help these two."

"Please. Do what you can," Fury said as he took a step back. She glanced over her shoulder and nodded at him.

Then taking a breath she willed her hair to move. It did as it grew and divided into two section before covering the two women's whole upper body, save their faces.

Then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

_~Flower gleam and glow~ _

She began to sing. The others watched as her golden locks glowed brilliantly. It started at her scalp and began spreading down her hair.

Fury and Frost both gasped while Archer remained silent. She'd seen her do this before.

_~Let your power shine~_

_~Make the clock reverse~_

As she continued to sing Frost and Fury noticed the girls' wrinkles began to fade away. And their hair was also darkening. Liver spots and loose skin began to tighten and color rushed into their faces.

_~Bring back what once was mine~_

_~What once was mine~ _

Limelight finished as the glow in her hair faded. Slowly she unwrapped her hair and willed it back to the normal length.

Frost and Fury stood their gaping in shock. Then the girls' eyes began to flutter open. Then they sat up in bed and rubbed their temples before sweeping their heads around the room in confusion.

Fury led them out of the room. Outside the girls' families were told it was ok to see them and they would be fine. They thanked them profusely before rushing inside.

Fury and Frost turned to look at Archer and Limelight.

"Thank you," Fury said sincerely.

Limelight accepted his thanks with a nod.

Fury and Frost exchanged a glance. Archer and Limelight could see a silent communication going on between them before they both nodded.

"Come with us if you'd like," Fury said blankly. With that he and Frost began walking back up to the roof of the hospital.

Archer and Limelight exchanged curious glances. But with a shrug they both obliged. Once at the roof Fury and Frost looked back them expectantly. Limelight and Archer understood and Limelight picked up her friend and waited.

With a nod Fury took off first, followed by Frost, and Limelight followed after. She followed after them, curious as to where they were leading her and her friend. She followed them for about 15 minutes as they were led to the docks. They passed by many shipyards before stopping at an abandoned one.

Fury and Frost flew in through the window of an abandoned shipyard building. Limelight went in after them. It was very dark inside, save for the light of the moon shining in. But she could make out Frost and Fury standing in the center of the building.

Landing, Limelight set Archer down before they both walked up to stand in front of them. Once they did they looked at them both, waiting and wondering where they'd just led them.

Fury held their gaze before lifting his arm up and pressing something on his gauntlet. Then suddenly the floor under them gave a lurch before it suddenly began to lower. Archer and Limelight yelped and looked around in surprise as they started descending into the floor.

They could hear the whir and crank of machines around them so they assumed they were on some kind of platform.

"Where are you taking us?" Archer asked.

Fury remained silent as he looked to her. "Our base," he replied.

"Welcome to the cove ladies," Frost said with a smile.

* * *

**New chapter. Hope you like. **


	7. Chapter 7

**The Light and Dark Gather**

Merida and Rapunzel wore identical shocked expressions once they were inside the base of Frost and Fury. The Cove, as they called it, was a massive underground cavern. But all around them they could see the additions making it a suitable place for a secret hideout. There was a giant computer in one corner of the cave supported on a giant rock platform and all around there were twisting paths that led into caves that spread all throughout the base.

"Yep. I had that exact same look on my face the first time I came here. Drink it all in ladies," Frost said in amusement.

Fury led the way to the computer as the other followed behind. The shipyard building above them had been in his family for generations. The Haddocks had started out as humble shipbuilders before they moved into the technological age. But they never gave up their shipyard. It was a reminder of their beginnings. When he had gained possession of the property he turned the area underneath it into his home base. Eventually it became his and Frost's base when they became partners.

"So ladies, thank you for coming," Fury said as he sat down in his chair. He turned around to face them while Frost stood next to him. He casually leaned on his staff as they surveyed the two women they'd brought home.

They looked wary, cautious, and unsure why they were here.

"Why did you bring us here?" Rapunzel finally asked.

Frost looked to Fury to let him answer. "Because I want to propose an alliance," Fury answered. Both girls' eyes widened in surprise.

"Ye what?" Merida asked in disbelief.

"Yes Ms. Dunbroch. An alliance," he said simply looking to her. "Obviously Frost and I don't know what we're dealing with when it comes to Gothel. And you seem to know a lot about the sword Ms. Dunbroch," he explained.

"So you want us to be a team then?" Rapunzel asked raising an eyebrow skeptically.

"Yes. We have the sword and two of our enemies are after it," he said gesturing to Frost and himself. "Not to mention Gothel is here. An enemy of yours who I happen to believe is also after the sword. I think teaming up would be a very wise decision, don't you?"

Rapunzel thought it over. Maybe it would be a good thing. She still hadn't forgotten those things they fought at the docks. The robot and those black sand creatures. They obviously didn't fully know what they were dealing with either. Maybe an alliance would be a good thing.

"Nae," Merida said with a glare. Fury, Frost, and even Rapunzel looked at her in surprise. "Tae be a team means tae troost each other. an' Ah don't troost ye."

"And why is that?" Fury asked curiously.

"Mebbe its coz we're at a disadvantage," Merida said. "Ye ken who we ur, but we don't ken who ye ur," she explained.

"Show us yer faces an' then we can gab abit an alliance," Merida demanded.

Frost looked to Fury to see what he thought. She had a fair point. They were a little uneven.

"No," Fury said simply. Merida narrowed her eyes at him and opened her mouth to yell at Fury raised a hand to silence her. "The way I see it we are pretty even," he said as he raised a hand to gesture all around them. "We've taken a risk in showing you our base. That's an act of trust in itself."

Merida opened her mouth to retort. But then she closed it. With a silent curse she realized he was right. Their base was now compromised. They were mostly square. Didn't mean she liked it.

"In time we may reveal our identities. But that will be when we are sure we can absolutely trust you. Now what do you say?" He asked again.

Merida and Rapunzel exchanged a glance. Rapunzel smiled in encouragement. Her wide eyes gave Merida some comfort. So with a sigh she gave Fury and Frost a nod. But she leveled Fury with a hard glare while she did. She still didn't like his guts.

"Awesome," Frost said with a smile. "Welcome to the team ladies. How about I give you guys the tour?" he offered standing up.

Rapunzel and Merida exchanged a glance and Merida motioned for Rapunzel to go ahead. With a nod she did, stepping forward to follow after Frost. Leaving Merida and Fury alone.

* * *

"So for now you guys will have low level clearance to the base. That means access to the unrestricted areas such as the workout room, the training room, the lounge, and low clearance on the computer database," Frost explained as he walked ahead of Rapunzel and pointed out various rooms.

"So what would be the restricted areas?" Rapunzel asked inquisitively.

"That would be the armory, the generator room, and the vault," Frost replied.

"And where is the sword being kept?"

"The vault."

Rapunzel pursed her lips in thought and stored that away. She had to admit this base was interesting. The halls were carved and smooth with fluorescent lighting. She wondered what powered this base. Then her eyes fell to Frost's back. Like her partner she wanted to know who their new teammates were.

"So how long have you and Fury been a team?" Rapunzel asked curiously.

"Meh…a few years I guess," Frost said with a shrug. "This was his city before I came along and this was his base before we became permanent partners," he explained.

"I noticed you seem to do a lot of what he tells you for being partners," Rapunzel pointed out.

Frost stopped and turned to look at her. He narrowed his eyes at her. "Nice try blondie. I see what you're doing."

"Me? What am I doing?" Rapunzel asked innocently.

"You're trying to get me on your side. Me and Fury are partners but he's the idea guy. He's pulled my ass out of the fire plenty of times," he said firmly.

"So you seem to trust him a lot. Even though you only know one side of him," Rapunzel put out there. But when Frost remained silent, "Unless you know who he is out of costume as well?" she asked.

Oh she was trying to be clever. Trying to learn as much about them as possible. Well he wasn't going to fall for it. "Yeah. We know who each other is out of costume," he replied casually.

"So who is he?"

"I'm not telling you," Frost replied hotly.

"Oh come on. I won't tell anybody," Rapunzel said with a slightly flirtatious tone as she moved closer to him. "We're supposed to trust each other right?" she said pouting slightly.

Frost flushed slightly at her close proximity. But shaking his head her turned around. "Let's continue the tour. Next up the garage," he said leading the way.

Rapunzel sighed in slight disappointment. She hoped he might slip up. But he seemed to like her. She could use that.

* * *

Merida stood beside Fury as he worked on his computer. She kept on trying to figure out who he was.

"You don't have to leave your mask and hood up you know," he said while continuing his work. She looked at him. "We already know who you are," he said with a light shrug. She glared at the side of his head. But relenting she pulled back her hood and took off her mask.

"Those arrows of yours are quite interesting," Fury said as he paused in his typing. He swiveled in his chair to look at her. "May I?" he asked reaching out a hand. Merida mulled it over for a moment. But in the end she reached a hand back into her quiver and pulled out an arrow before handing it to him.

Fury looked at it closely as his scanners did their job. Already his mind was thinking about ways to improve on existing designs. But still, even he had to admit they were some pretty impressive arrows.

"Interesting," he said before handing the arrow back. "So how did you hit me with that arrow during our first fight?" he asked.

"Why ur ye so interested?"

"I'm a curious man by nature."

Merida thought it over. "Magic," she said casually. "Mah bow is enchanted. It will hit anythin' Ah aim fur e'en if Ah miss."

"So magic huh. Interesting," he said as he started thinking of a way to replicate that effect with science.

"Ye believe in magic?" Merida asked a little surprised. She assumed he was all about science given his armor.

"I've been forced to develop an open mind after meeting Frost. Otherwise my brain would have exploded when I tried to figure out how exactly he can control the wind and snow," he joked.

While intrigued by the idea of dragons as a child he had always been a man of science. He'd discredited magic as nothing more than a joke. But when he met his partner and the Guardians he'd come to accept the fact that magic was real.

Suddenly they heard the footsteps and turned to see Frost and Rapunzel walking back to them. Rapunzel had her mask off seeing no point in keeping it on since Frost and Fury knew who they were as well.

"This place is amazing Mer," Rapunzel said smiling wide. "They have everything. A lounge, a kitchen, workout room, training room, an arcade, tanning beds, a lab, and you should see the garage."

"You have an arcade?" Merida asked looking to Fury and raising an eyebrow.

"He wouldn't stop whining until I added one," he said looking at Frost.

"Oh come on. The arcade was a good idea," Frost said crossing his arms in offense.

"And tanning beds?" Merida asked.

Frost and Fury exchanged a glance. Suddenly they both started sniggering until they burst out in laughter.

"Oh that was a joke on a friend of ours. Let's just say her skin burned easily and we just added that to piss her off," Frost chuckled out.

"So we aren't the only people who've been here?" Rapunzel asked.

"No. Only one other person has been to the Cove," Fury explained. But he didn't elaborate as he turned in his chair to grab something.

Merida thought about what he just said curiously until suddenly a squeaking sound caught her attention. Glancing at her feet her eyes widened.

"Ack!" she screamed while drawing and notching an arrow. On the ground in front of her was a huge black wolf. It had a squeaky fish toy in its mouth as it looked up at her with big green eyes.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" Fury said turning around and standing up from his seat.

"Take it easy red," Frost said evenly as he tied to coax her to lower her bow.

"AWWW! A dog!" Rapunzel squealed as she kneeled down and threw her arms around it.

"That's nae a dog Punz. That's a wolf," she hissed at her friend. She lowered her bow slightly, but was still cautious of being so close to a dangerous animal.

"He looks like a dog to me. Don't you boy," she said talking in a baby voice and cooing to Toothless. Toothless dropped his fishy toy to whine and lick Rapunzel's face, causing her giggle happily.

Merida internally face palmed. Of course Rapunzel wouldn't be afraid of a wolf. The girl could wrestle a _dragon_ with her bare hands if she had to. Looking at the wolf she noticed it didn't seem dangerous. So she put her bow and arrow away.

"This is Toothless," Fury explained. The wolf's ears perked up in response to hearing his name before padding over to sit by his master's feet. Merida raised an eyebrow as she noticed that one of its back legs was robotic.

"He was a rescue," Frost explained. Toothless looked at the new people curiously. He padded over to Merida who stiffened slightly in wariness. He started sniffing at her. And his tail wagged excitedly as he recognized her scent. He'd been smelling it off his master for weeks now. He brushed his snout against her hand in an attempt to get her to pet him.

Merida couldn't help but smile. The wolf was acting just like a dog. And it was pretty cute she had to admit. So she slowly raised a hand up to pet it. Earning a happy whine and causing him to roll onto his back and present his belly to be scratched.

Merida giggled but kneeled down to comply. She scratched the wolf's stomach making it squirm and whine happily. Ok so it was absolutely adorable. She could admit it.

"Looks like he likes you," Fury said with a smile in his voice.

"Aww what? He chased me around the first time I came here," Frost cried indignantly.

"I guess he likes girls better," Rapunzel said with a smirk. Frost grumbled as he glared down at Toothless.

"Anyway," Fury said getting back on track. He held out a hand to Rapunzel and Merida. Merida stood up and came forward. In his hand were what looked like two ear buds. Communicators she realized. Then he held up a small hand held device that looked like a piece of glass surrounded by metal.

"Communicators. When you want to reach one of us," he explained. Merida and Rapunzel took on each. Touching the glass, numbers and pictures started to appear.

"Cool," Rapunzel said with a smile.

"They also will provide you access to the base so keep them with you. I guess that's it for tonight. Me and Frost need to set up sleeping quarters so if you decide to ever stay the night here," Fury said.

Merida and Rapunzel nodded in understanding before they both turned to leave. Frost led them to the platform entrance and saw them out.

Fury sighed to himself. While he was sure this was a good move for Frost and Fury, he wasn't so sure this was a good idea for himself as Hiccup.

For now he would have to see Merida a lot more than normal. It was already hard to be around her without staring at her like the lovesick dork he was. But he had to do this. He had to defend the city.

He'd just have to suck it up.

* * *

"This is your fault Pitch!" said a harsh raspy voice.

"My fault?" came an indignant snarl.

Drago Bludvist glared daggers at his supposed 'compatriot' as they argued. Drago was large man, standing at 6'10 he towered over almost anyone he came across. Drago was a man with a mind as brilliant but twisted enough to match Night Fury's. The two had been enemies for years. But he'd never managed to defeat his foe. He'd always had his plans thwarted, especially when Fury gained his meddlesome partner Frost.

Along with his imposing height he wore a long black cape and carried a large metal pike in his right hand. His face was covered in scars he'd obtained from his years in his war torn country. His head and facial hair was worn in dreadlocks and his left arm was fully robotic.

"Yes. You're nightmares were supposed to obtain the sword while my robots distracted Fury and Frost. And they failed," he spat.

Pitch Black's lips curled upward into a menacing sneer. Pitch was a man standing nearly as tall as Drago but with a slimmer and lanky build. He had charcoal gray skin and a long flowing black cape and menacing amber eyes. His hair was spiky and black but his teeth were a brilliant gleaming white.

Pitch was a master of dark magic. He'd stolen and twisted the magic of a rival of his for his own personal use. He could control black sand, shaping into creatures and weapons for his own devices. Additionally he could harness the power of fear, making his enemies paranoid and driving them insane with it if they weren't strong willed enough to fight back.

"Well you're robot didn't seem to do much either dragon man," he replied with a growl.

"I sent my robot as added insurance. But you were supposed to deliver the sword. Now Fury has it! I thought a man who stole his entire spell book could handle a sword," Drago said condescendingly.

Pitch's nostrils flared at his slight against his abilities and he conjured his black sand around him. Forming and hardening it into a long black scythe. Drago glared at him before throwing back his cape and activating the drill and energy blaster on his pike.

Both men glared at each other. Waiting for the other to make the first move. Their blood was boiling. And they'd long come to a point where they wanted to kill each other.

"Ugh. Men. Always going all alpha male instead of using your brains," came a voice. Glancing to the side they both saw their other partner walking up to them.

Dressed in a long red dress and holding her chin up high was Gothel.

"And where have you been?" Drago demanded.

Gothel looked at him. "Oh you know. Just needed a little pick me up," she said gesturing to her face which looked much younger than it had hours ago. They both knew she'd gone out to steal some youth with her magic.

"And Drago is right Pitch. You were supposed to deliver the sword. This is your fault," she said evenly and pointing to the offended man.

"My fault? It was actually your little pests that stopped my nightmares. Maybe this is your fault," he shot back at her.

But Gothel shrugged off his jab. She looked at her nails casually. "There was no way of knowing Limelight and Archer would show up. I have no idea what they're doing here," she said calmly.

"As one practitioner of the black arts to another just accept the facts. Besides, our leader doesn't seem too worried. He should be returning soon. Until then he says Drago is still in charge," she informed them.

Pitch glared at her. Then he glared back at a smug Drago. With a snort he stalked away. Angry and in a huff.

Drago watched him walk away. Boring holes into his back until he felt a hand on his cheek. It gently turned him until he was looking into Gothel's face.

"You both would have killed each other long ago if I weren't around," she said in amusement. Drago chuckled. "Anyway I'm feeling much livelier. How about I spend the night in your room, darling," she said with s sultry voice.

Drago smiled before she began to walk to his quarters. Swaying her hips as she walked away and knowing he was looking.

Well he supposed there were certain…benefits to working with allies, he thought to himself as he followed after her.

* * *

**New chapter. The team is formed. And what do you think of Dagothel? Let that sink in.**


	8. Chapter 8

**HQ**

The next day was tough on Merida. She had to go to work and face Hiccup. It was hard to act strictly business with him. Not when she wanted to plant a kiss on his cheek or his lips. And then while they worked she swore that she could see him looking at her from out of the corner of her eyes. But when she looked his eyes were on a document.

After what seemed like an eternity they were finished for the day. With a tight smile she said goodbye before immediately heading to her condo. When she got there she went straight to her room and collapsed on her bed. Feeling drained and emotionally exhausted.

Bored she picked up the communicator Fury gave her. It was quite interesting. It was touch screen and almost like a mini computer. It could access the web, stream videos, send texts, make calls, and it even had a gps feature.

It was later on that she noticed that Rapunzel wasn't there. She checked her phone and saw a message from her saying she headed out and was going to be at HQ that night. Merida frowned at this. Rapunzel already seem very cozy at Fury and Frost's base.

But with a sigh and the sun going down Merida decided to head there as well. In a few minutes she dressed in her costume and was in the parking garage. Getting on her bike she started it and headed to the home base. Surprisingly the wisps actually lead her there.

_Stupid spirits_, Merida thought to herself. She'd tried using them to lead them to Fury during the day so she could discover who he was but they didn't listen to her. They would do that sometimes. Apparently they didn't think it was an adequate enough reason to help her.

* * *

After about an hour of driving she drew near the ship yard. As she got nearer she heard a beep from her communicator and suddenly the front door of the building opened, allowing her to drive right in. She drove onto the platform and waited. And after a moment the platform descended, bringing her into the cove.

But when it stopped it was at a different level than last night. A trail of lights lit the path and she followed it until she came to a garage. She gaped, impressed by all the different vehicles. It was mainly motorcycles. Placing her bike in an empty spot she got off and found an exit.

Since she didn't take the tour the other day she didn't know her way around. So she summoned up a wisp and asked it to lead her to Rapunzel. The spirit complied and floated in front of her, drifting through the air and down twisting and turning tunnels before it disappeared in front of a door. She stood there for a moment before the door automatically opened.

Stepping inside she looked around the room before her gaze stopped on Rapunzel and Frost. She walked forward and noticed that Rapunzel seemed to be in some kind of ring.

Rapunzel was currently working on her hand to hand skills inside a training ring. The training room was a large room with a large circular ring with gridded blocks that could rise and fall to create a simulated environment to simulate multiple situations. Rapunzel was in her normal form as she blocked and threw punches against a programmable training robot. Fury had suggested she practice in her regular form so that when she was Limelight her experience would help her skills shoot up drastically.

Frost was standing at a console as he adjusted the difficulty and manipulated the environment. Making sure to force her to keep track on her surroundings and use it to her advantage. The robot was fighting at an average level of a common street fighter. Something simple enough for Rapunzel to handle that would help her reflexes improve.

The robot could however be programmed to higher levels mimicking martial arts masters and even using weaponry. There were also more robots that could be added to simulate an ambush and engaging multiple opponents.

Rapunzel was working up quite a sweat as she sparred against the bot. She was so used to her reflexes being faster when she was Limelight that she was having a little bit of difficulty keeping up. But it felt good to train. She felt herself getting a little bit better and was sure this would help her in the future.

As the robot threw a right hook Rapunzel lifted her left arms up to block before throwing a jab with her right. The robot stumbled back a step and Rapunzel advanced before kneeing it in the stomach. It doubled over before pushing her back. Rapunzel's backside bumped against a large square block Frost had raised up to surprise her. But overcoming her surprise she kept her eyes on her opponent.

The robot advanced and threw a left cross that she ducked and then threw a punch to its middle. Then she immediately grabbed it by the back of its head before slamming it into the top of the block. The robot gave beep in defeat, indicating she used enough force to knock out the average person. It went slack and fell to the ground.

"Congrats Limelight you just won the match," Frost said impressed. Rapunzel smiled and wiped the sweat off her brow. She took steady breaths and looked over to him and smiled. Then she glanced passed him to see Merida standing there.

"Hey Mer," she said in greeting as she walked out of the ring.

"Hey Punz. Nice job with the robot," she said in praise.

"Thanks," she said as she grabbed a towel and some water off the console before taking a swig. "Oh man that was the fourth one I fought. I am exhausted," she panted out.

"You did a pretty good job blondie. Maybe we should try multiple opponents next," Frost suggested.

"Nah. I think I've had enough," Rapunzel said in rejection.

"How about me then?" Merida piped in.

Frost looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "You sure?" Merida nodded. "Alright. Go find some underarmour in that back room and I'll start setting up a new robot," Frost said jerking a thumb to a door in the corner of the room. Merida nodded and handed off her bow, arrows, and cloak to Rapunzel. Then she made her way over to the door.

It opened automatically and she stepped inside to see a small locker room. There were two rows of lockers. And on each one was a symbol. On the left were two lockers, one having a dragon on it and one having a snowflake. Merida guessed the dragon indicated it was Fury's while the snowflake indicated Frost's.

Glancing at the other row she saw three lockers with symbols on it. One was a sun. She guessed that was for Limelight. One was a bow and arrow. Obviously hers. She furrowed her brows at the last one. It looked like…a bat was on it. She guessed it must have belonged to the former team member Fury and Frost mentioned.

Shrugging it off she opened her locker to find some workout clothes. It was some simple dark green underarmour and a pair of green sweat pants. She shed her clothes before slipping them on. She was surprised they fit so well. A perfect fit actually.

Stepping back out, she walked over to Frost and Rapunzel. "Hey Archer. You ready? How do the clothes fit?" he asked.

"Very well actually. Are they custom made?"

"Yep. Fury designed them himself." Frost informed her.

She rolled her eyes a little at the mention of Fury. But then she walked passed Frost and into the ring. She stood in the middle and looked to Frost.

"Alright Archer what will it be? You want one opponent?" he asked.

"Give me ten," she said as she began tying her hair back.

Frost raised an eyebrow and hesitated. But Rapunzel placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked at her and she had a smile. "She's got this," she said with a nod.

Frost shrugged and started activating the bots. She activated ten of them with varying level of strength, below superhuman and putting their skills at the level of a common person. But one he increased to the level of an amateur boxer. As a little surprise.

Merida smiled as the robots surrounded her. She needed to vent a little.

* * *

Fury walked out of the lab of the base. He smiled proudly underneath his helmet. He'd just put some finishing touches on come new high tech arrows for Merida along with a new costume for her and Rapunzel. He hoped she would like them.

He shook his head. Not because he wanted her to like him. She just needed the right tools for the job. He sighed to himself. Today had been hard for him. He'd spent most of the day staring at Merida. And he was sure she probably caught him staring a few times. Being around her was hard.

He walked towards the training room. Opening the door he could make out someone practicing in the ring. He assumed it was Rapunzel at first but he noticed her standing next to Frost. He walked up beside them and looked into the ring to see Merida fighting against ten robots.

"Hot damn," he said in amazement. She was destroying them.

Merida had been taught to fight by her father for self-defense purposes as a child. And as she got older she had taken more lessons in various style and received advanced training from a personal friend from china. All in all…she was a very good hand to hand combatant.

Merida knocked down a robot with a spin kick and then raised her arm up to block a kick from and advancing robot. Grabbing its leg she swept the other leg out from under it and knocked it to the floor. Still holding the leg she gave it a sharp jerk. In a person she would have just dislocated or broken a leg.

As more robots advanced she back flipped away to gain breathing room. One nearest to her attempted to blindside her from behind. But she dropped low and elbowed it in the middle before grabbing its head and flipping it onto it back. Before it could retaliate she slammed her palm into the middle of its face. It gave a beep in defeat, indicating a knockout.

Fury gaped open mouth underneath his helmet. He had now become even more attracted to Merida then he'd ever been. She was incredible. Her hair was tied up and her face was flushed slightly from exertion. She just looked so alive, so vibrant.

She was like some kind of Scottish warrior princess.

He continued to watch in amazement as she defeated the remaining robots quite easily. When she was done she smirked proudly.

"Woohoo! Yeah, go Mer!" Rapunzel shouted enthusiastically. Merida put her hands on her hips proudly and 'hmphed' in satisfaction.

"Yeah. She totally needs protection," Frost muttered sarcastically just loud enough for his partner to hear. Fury glared at him as Merida walked out of the ring. She took some water from her friend and a towel.

"Nice job Ms. Dunbroch," Fury said politely. She scowled at him before taking another swig of water. He felt a sting in his heart. Her look said 'drop dead'.

"Yeah Red, you totally kicked ass!" Frost added.

"Anyway. Rapunzel there was something I wanted to ask you," Fury said looking to the girl. She cocked her head to the side. "How strong are you?"

Rapunzel thought it over. She pursed her lips and tapped her chin in thought. "I'm not sure. I've never really tested myself," she said with a shrug.

"Hmmm," Fury said thoughtfully. "Well what's the heaviest thing you've lifted?"

"An 18 wheeler I guess," Rapunzel replied.

"Hmmmm. Come with me please," he said leading the way. Rapunzel complied and followed after him. Frost and Merida having nothing better to do went along with them.

* * *

A few minutes later Rapunzel was in a room while her teammates were behind a glass screen. She was blindfolded and in her Limelight form as she lifted a 1 ton weight above her head. Fury wanted to see what the upper limits of her strength were. He used the same machine to test the strength of his armors. Her hands were on a bar that she could take her hands off of if she felt she was overwhelmed and the weight would immediately be lifted off her.

"So why ur ye so curious abit how strong she is," Merida asked beside Fury as he sat at a control panel.

"Because I noticed something strange when I fought Limelight," he explained.

"Strange how?" she asked.

"Rapunzel says she's only ever lifted about 40 tons, which is the average weight of an 18 wheeler," he began. Merida nodded. "My suit allows me to lift approximately 50 tons. But when we were grappling I could see how difficult it was for her to overpower me at first. But then her hair glowed and she did," he explained.

"And?"

"It was weird. One moment she was weaker than me and the next moment she wasn't. The fact that she overpowered me in my suit meant she became stronger than me. Which meant she was lifting more than 50 tons at that moment," he elaborated.

"So you wanna see exactly how strong she is?" Frost asked. Fury nodded.

"And the blindfold?" Merida inquired.

"I have a theory. Mind over matter," he said. Then he pressed a button to speak to Rapunzel. "Alright Rapunzel we're going up to 3 tons," he said.

"Ok," she called back. Fury pressed a button, increasing the weight to 5 tons. He watched as Rapunzel's legs buckled for only an instance before she stood up straight and held the weight. If she could tell the difference she didn't say anything.

"Ok Rapunzel, now 7 tons," he said. She nodded and he increased the weight to 10 tons. Once again she supported it and held it above her head.

Fury smiled. His experiment and theory working out so far.

* * *

"Ah dinnae believe it," Merida said in a gasp.

"Whoa!" Frost said in wonder.

Underneath his helmet Fury's mouth was openin shock. He almost couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"I've ne'er seen 'er lift so much weight," Merida breathed out.

"Frost…dude," Fury said to his partner.

"Yes Fury," Frost said still staring wide eyed at the blonde.

"I suggest you never piss her off again. Unless you want to end up a stain," Fury suggested. Frost gulped ad nodded. He considered himself lucky he wasn't dead.

Rapunzel was sweating slightly. She was at 100 tons right now. She was impressed with herself. She had no idea she was this strong. And she felt like she could keep going.

"Fury, I'm ready for more weight," she called out.

"…uhm…Rapunzel, I don't have any more weight. You've reached the maximum limit," he told her.

"So only 100 tons?" she asked.

"Rapunzel…you're lifting double that."

Rapunzel's head shot up in surprise. She immediately took her hands off the bar. The weight was lifted off her. She took the blindfold off and turned around to see the several story tall of stacked weights she had just been holding.

"Rapunzel, I'm not sure what the upper limits of your strength are…You may not have one," he said thoughtfully.

Rapunzel looked down at herself in wonder. She could hardly believe how strong she was. All this time she'd barely scratched the surface of her power. She wondered just what she was really capable of.

"Alright Rapunzel. How about you clean up?" Fury suggested. She nodded and left the room.

She joined her team in the control room. "Alight Frost. How about you show Rapunzel to her quarters. I'll take Merida," he said. Frost nodded and led Rapunzel out of the room and down the tunnel systems to her quarters leaving Merida with Fury.

"This way Ms. Dunbroch," he said motioning with his hand. Merida narrowed her eyes at him with a hard glare. "What?" he asked nervously.

"Why do ye keep callin' me that?" she asked in annoyance.

"Calling you what?"

"Ms. Dunbroch. Just call me Merida."

"Well…I just thought that we don't know each other—"

"Oh quit yer babbling ye ninny. Just call me Merida," she said firmly. Fury nodded in acceptance. Then he led her out of the room. She followed him, taking note of the turns so she could find her way on her own.

During their walk they ran into Toothless who immediately perked up when he saw her. She smiled as he walked beside her, nudging her hand with his nose. She petted him, earning happy whines from the wolf.

"Here you are then," Fury said stopping at a door. "These are your personal quarters. You get in with this panel right here," he said pointing out a panel beside the door. "And I'll leave you to it," he said before walking away. Toothless gave her hand a lick before following after him.

She watched him go before opening her door and stepping inside her room.

"Wow!" she said in wonder. Her room was huge. It had a large circular bed, a plasma screen TV, and a couch in the center of the room. And on the right side of the room there was even a shooting range with targets set up. She smiled, she had to admit it. This was amazing.

After exploring the room she found a private bathroom. She smiled, happy to get in a wash and shed her sweaty clothes.

* * *

A few minutes later Merida stepped out in a clean bath robe. She was feeling refreshed and in a very good mood. She noticed a bundle on her bed but ignored it to plop down on her couch. Suddenly the floor opened up in front of her and a small table came out. On it was a remote. She picked it up and turned on the TV.

"Limelight requesting entry. Grant or deny?" Suddenly came a computer voice.

Merida looked around. "Uhm…granted," she said unsure. Suddenly the door to her room slid open to reveal her friend. She walked in and took a look around the room.

"Wow. Your room is huge. It's even bigger than mine," she said amazed.

"Hey Punz," Merida greeted.

"Hey Mer. You got to admit this is cool right?"

Merida frowned slightly but sighed as she conceded. "Ok ah admit. This is very cool," she admitted.

"My room is pretty awesome. It even has sun lamps in the ceiling so I can absorb energy," she told her. "Oh and Fury made me a new costume," she added.

Merida cocked her head to the side. She glanced over to the bundle on the bed. Rapunzel glanced over as well. "I bet he made you one too," she said excitedly. "Oh I'm gonna go put mine on. You put yours on," she said before running out of the room.

Merida watched her go. She hesitated for a moment as she looked to the bundle on the bed. But then she got up and walked over to it. With a shrug she shed her bath robe and began putting it on.

* * *

A few minutes later Rapunzel came into the room in her new uniform. It looked much like her old one but it had splashes of gold on along with a golden sun on her chest. She loved it. She looked to Merida with a wide smile and saw her in her new outfit.

It was a lot like her old one too. But on the back of the cloak was a large red arrow. At her waist was a utility belt. And she could tell the leather jacket was different, as were her combat pants.

"You look awesome Mer," Rapunzel said as she clapped in amazement. Merida smiled. Then she picked up a new quiver of arrows. And in a pocket of her new cloak was a miniature crossbow. She had to admit it. They were pretty cool.

"Wow! He even made you new arrows," Rapunzel pointed out. Then she took a second glance around the room. And her mouth formed into a wicked grin.

"What?" Merida asked raising an eyebrow.

"I think he likes you," Rapunzel said with smirk.

Merida's face flushed in embarrassment. "What!? Ye think Fury likes me?" she sputtered.

"Well yeah… new arrows," she said as she paused to gesture to the room. "A large room. He totally likes you."

"Well Ah don't like him," Merida said as she crossed her arms and looked away. But she could still feel the heat in her cheeks betraying her embarrassment.

"Are you sure?" Rapunzel asked holding her smirk.

"Of course not Punz. Ah don't even ken what he looks like. He might be hideous for all Ah ken."

"Or he could be devilishly handsome," Rapunzel pointed out.

"Ugh. Let's just go," Merida said with a huff before stomping to the door. Rapunzel giggled and followed after her.

Merida didn't care if Fury liked her, because she still liked Hiccup.

* * *

"You're still totally into her," Frost said with a smug grin. He and Fury were at the computer as Fury was still looking for clues on the whereabouts of their enemies.

"I don't know what you mean," Fury replied.

"Oh sure you don't. I bet it was totally coincidence that you gave her the biggest room and spent all night making her a new high tech quiver of arrows. And don't think I didn't see those plans for upgrades for her bike."

"We're a team. I just want to make sure she's fully prepared," Fury replied casually.

But Frost didn't buy it. Fury had gone the extra mile for Merida. He still totally had a thing for her.

"So by the way…me and Rapunzel went on a date today," he threw out there.

"What?" Fury asked turning in his chair to look at him.

"I like her man. We went to see a movie," he said shrugging his arm.

"Dude. You can't date her. What about your identity?"

"I've been keeping it a secret my whole life man. I kind of got a lot of practice hiding it," Frost said rolling his eyes.

"Frost you can't keep seeing her. It's too risky," Fury said firmly.

"Watch it partner. I may follow your lead in costume but you don't get a say in my personal life," Frost said narrowing his eyes at him.

Fury held his gaze. But with a sigh he backed off. He was right. He couldn't tell his friend what to do with his personal life. He could only trust that he'd be careful.

Suddenly both men turned to see the girls walking up to them. And in their new costumes.

"OMG Fury. I love my new outfit," Rapunzel said with a wide smile.

"Thanks. The new material offers increased durability and the golden parts are solar panels that absorb energy," he said as he gestured to the sun on her chest and the golden parts on her knees and elbows.

"Cool," she said as she looked her suit over once again.

"And I hope you like yours too Archer. The cloak is a titanium Kevlar synthetic combination and is incredibly resistant, fire retardant, and nearly indestructible," he explained.

She listened but kept her face straight. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing she was thoroughly impressed.

"So anyway, I was thinking now would be a good night for patrol. So I was thinking Frost and Archer would team up while I go with Limelight."

"Why do we have tae listen tae ye?" Merida demanded.

"I simply thought tonight would be a good night to learn about each other. You're used to Limelight so I though teaming you up with Frost while I go with Limelight would help us get to know each other," he explained.

"That sounds fine to me," Limelight said with a shrug.

Merida grumbled in acceptance.

"Excellent. Shall we?" Fury said standing up. The others all nodded and followed him as he led the way out of the base.

* * *

**New chapter. Hope you like. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Feelings of the heart**

Fury flew beside Limelight as they patrolled the skies of Berk. The crime rate in Berk was relatively low thanks to Fury and Frost. The only constant annoyance came in the form of the local street gang called the Outcasts. But they weren't too big a threat ever since Fury put away their leader.

Fury landed on a building and tapped into the police frequencies to listen and wait for a crime to occur. Limelight landed next to him and just kept an eye on the streets below. Checking for any small time muggers or car jackers.

As she did she glanced over at Fury. He was a very mysterious man. He was clever, highly intelligent, and seemed like a natural leader. But what she really wondered is if what she guessed had been true. Did he have an interest in Merida? He seemed to. Why else would he have gone through the trouble of giving her the biggest room and making her new arrows?

"So," she began casually. Fury didn't acknowledge her as he continued listening to police scanners. "That was quite the gift you made Archer."

He turned to look at her. "I guess?" he said in confusion.

"And you gave her the biggest room," she added. He shrugged. "And I couldn't help but notice how you chose to show her to her room instead of me," she pointed out.

"I don't know what you're getting at," he lied.

"Oh nothing," Rapunzel said dismissing the idea with a wave of her hand. Fury shrugged it off and looked away. "Just that you totally like my best friend," he suddenly heard her mutter.

Fury stiffened in surprise which unfortunately let Rapunzel know all she needed. "Ha! I knew it," he said triumphantly.

"No, no, no. I do not **LIKE** Archer like that. I'm just being friendly because we're teammates," he said frantically.

"Why not?" Limelight asked curiously. "You don't think she's attractive?"

"Of course she is. She's beautiful and clever and passionate and brave and—. " He immediately shut up as he realized he'd said too much.

"OOOOO. You totally have a crush on her," Rapunzel squealed, her face wide in a grin. "If you're going to ask her out you should wait a little bit. She's kind of on the rebound at the moment," Rapunzel suggested.

"I don't believe this," Fury mumbled palming his forehead.

Rapunzel giggled. She hoped he would make a move on Merida. Maybe then she could get over Hiccup. And Fury seemed like a nice enough guy. Plus he was a superhero too.

How awesome would that be?

And plus she couldn't help but feel something between the two of them. She just couldn't put her finger on it.

* * *

Frost flew above Archer as she ran along rooftops. He had to admit she was very agile. He scowled to himself in disappointment that he wasn't partnered with Rapunzel. He figured Fury separated them because he wanted to limit the amount of time they spent together with him as Frost.

But Merida was so boring. So serious. She be better partnered with Fury who would be equally as serious as she was. But he was probably also trying to avoid being with Merida. Poor guy was still head over heels for her.

He didn't get why he was being so stubborn. With all the good they did they deserved some happiness too. And that especially went for Fury.

He glanced down to see Archer peering over rooftops. From what Rapunzel had told him Merida still had a thing for Hiccup too. Apparently a big thing as Rapunzel claimed to have never seen Merida so torn up about a guy before. He remembered cringing when Rapunzel asked him if he knew why Hiccup had called it off with her. He made up an excuse about him not being ready to date or just being scared.

But he knew the real reason.

Deciding to make conversation he landed beside her on the rooftop.

"So was that you guys at the docks the night the sword came in?" he asked.

"Aye. Limelight called me and told me about these weird creature she saw as she flew in. They were made from some kind of black sand. And then there was this dragon robot," Archer replied.

Frost frowned in annoyance. "Yeah. That would be Pitch Black and Drago Bludvist," he informed her.

"Fury said they were enemies of yours?"

"Yep. Me and him have clashed against Drago and Pitch over the years. Pitch was an enemy from my time with the Guardians while Drago was an enemy of Fury's almost since he started his superhero career."

"Hmmm. So what can they do?"

"Well Pitch is a practitioner of dark magic. He twisted the magic of a friend of mine in the Guardians to what it is now. He can control black sand and form it into creature and weapons. Plus he has this nasty ability to control and manipulate your fears. Got to watch out for that," he warned.

"And Drago?"

"Meh. Typical mad scientist. Went psycho after losing his family to war. Started trying to conquer the world. You know, the usual," Frost said with a shrug.

"Have they worked together in the past?" Archer inquired.

"No," Frost said with a serious tone. "That's what makes me nervous. None of them are team players. Plus it seems like that Gothel woman is in the mix too. It makes me wonder what's so special about the sword," he said rubbing his chin. He glanced over to Archer and noticed her shift nervously.

"You know what's so special about it don't you?" he asked.

Archer remained silent. "I just know we can't let anyone get their hands on it," she said firmly. Frost frowned at her. She was hiding something. But then again so were Fury and he. He let it go for now.

"Fury is a bossy one ain't he?" Archer piped in changing the subject.

Frost chuckled beside her. "Yep."

"Friendly one too," she added.

"Not always," Frost said casually. He noticed Archer turned to look at him and cocked her head to the side. "He used to be a lot…darker, more serious than he is now. Wasn't one to work with a team," he explained.

"Really?" she asked in surprise. He was the one who proposed the alliance. She had a hard time imagining him as cold and uncooperative.

"Yeah. It took a while, but M and I got him to open up. Got him back to what he says is the  
"real him"," he said making air quotes.

"Do you know what made him that way?" she asked curiously.

"Yeah. But he doesn't like bringing it up. It's something he'd rather not remember."

Archer 'hmmmed' thoughtfully.

"So how did you and Limelight meet? You two don't seem like you'd go together at first."

"Well Corona City was her turf at first. Ah came in later. Ah helped her against Gothel, and she was so friendly and perky that she kind grew on me. She would follow me around like a puppy. So we became a team. Eventually we became friends and before Ah knew it she was my best friend," she said with a shrug.

"Sounds a lot like Fury and I," Frost said with a fond smile.

"You two really seem to trust each other," Archer pointed out.

"We do. He's my best friend and the best guy I know," Frost said in earnest.

As they continued to learn about each other Archer came to have a grudging respect for Fury. He was a good man. Brilliant, brave, kind, compassionate, and selfless. He was a hero. In every sense of the word.

She decided she would cut him some slack.

* * *

Back at HQ Merida and Rapunzel were enjoying a pizza and relaxing on the couch in Merida's room. The night had gone mostly uneventfully. The only thing interesting was that Archer and Frost stopped some Outcasts from robbing a grocery store. And they supposed learning a bit about their new teammates had been insightful as well.

Rapunzel glanced over to Merida whose eyes were on the TV. She wondered if she liked Fury. She decided to tease her a bit.

"So Fury is an interesting guy," Rapunzel said nonchalantly. Merida didn't say anything. Just continued looking at the screen. "He's so mysterious though. Wouldn't you agree?"

Merida gave a small shrug. Trying to remain indifferent.

"I guess there's a certain appeal in that though," Rapunzel said with a grin. "He totally hit on me while we were out," she added.

"He whoot?" Merida asked as she turned to look at her.

"I was just kidding," Rapunzel said smirking at her. "Oh but your face! 'He whoot?'" she giggled out mimicking her friend's accent.

"Enough Punz, Ah don't have a thing for Fury," Merida said blushing red.

"Well he has a thing for you," Rapunzel revealed. Merida stiffened in surprise. And her blush deepened.

"Bah. Why are ye so interested in my love life?" Merida asked in annoyance.

"I just want you to be happy Mer," her friend said in earnest.

"I'm fine Punz," Merida asserted with a huff. "Let's talk about your love life then," Merida said rounding on her friend. Rapunzel flinched in surprise, obviously uncomfortable in changing the subject.

"Why did you and Eugene break up?" Merida inquired.

Rapunzel shifted uncomfortably as she contemplated whether or not to tell her. It was still painful.

"Well. Everything was going great," Rapunzel began. Merida nodded. Punz and Eugene had always been such a cute couple. She was genuinely surprised they weren't together at the moment. They'd been inseparable for years. "Then I kind of brought up the subject of…marriage."

"And?" Merida inquired.

Rapunzel hesitated with a sigh. "He said he wasn't sure if he ever wanted to get married," she revealed.

"Really?"

"Yeah. He said we were good the way we were. 'Why fix what wasn't broken' he said."

"And then what happened?"

"I got kind of angry. I thought that…well…eventually we would get married. Maybe not in a year or two. Just sometime in the future," she said with a shrug. She brought her knees to her chest and released another sigh.

"So he suggested we go on a break. He said that since he's the only person I've ever been with I should see if I honestly want to marry him. 'To see who we are without each other'," she said to quote him.

"Well…ye know Punz it's not so unheard of fur people to not get married now a days. Ah have friends who have been with the same person for over a decade without getting married and they seem fine," Merida offered.

"We can't all be like you Merida," Rapunzel muttered under her breath.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Merida asked in offense. She'd heard her.

"Just you're fine on your own. You don't need a guy in your life," Rapunzel explained.

"So you don't think Ah get a little lonely too? You don't think Ah want to find a nice lad someday and fall in love?" Merida asked bitterly. Rapunzel's eyes were wide and she felt she'd stepped on a land mine.

"Ah like someone who pays for my dinner just because he wants to. Or holds open the door to my car for me even though its cliché. Or doesn't care about my money and status. Who like me just fur being me," she shouted.

Rapunzel immediately felt bad for Merida. Because everything she described was referring to one person in particular. Hiccup.

Frustrated tears started to well up in Merida's eyes.

"Ah just don't understand Punz. What did Ah do wrong?" she muttered out miserably. Rapunzel felt bad for her friend and gave her a hug.

"Looks like both of us are not lucky with men huh?" Merida said sarcastically.

"Well…about that," Rapunzel mumbled sheepishly. Merida looked into her eyes and raised an eyebrow. "I kind of went out with Jack. Hiccup's friend," Rapunzel admitted.

"Oh," was all Merida said.

"Is that ok? Do you want me to stop? I know he's Hiccup's friend and all but I really like him and I wasn't sure if I was violating girl code and—"

"Stop Punz," Merida said cutting her off. She released a sigh. "It's fine."

"Really? Are you sure?" she asked seriously.

"Aye. I'm glad you found someone else. It's a good thing," Merida said with a nod.

"Thanks Mer," Rapunzel said with a smile. "So about Fury," she began with a playful smile.

Merida frowned and hit her in the face with a pillow.

* * *

The next day Rapunzel left to spend the day with Jack. He had a game that day and she wanted to go support him. So Merida got up, drove back to her condo, and then got ready for work. Once she was prepared she headed for Haddock Industries.

Once again the day was emotionally taxing on her. She and Hiccup continued going over details for the merger and taking a look at their separate company assets. Then Hiccup also proposed a social event hosted by the two companies to attract potential partner, investors, and just show off the new united force of their company. Merida thought it would be a good idea and agreed to it.

After her work day was over she all but ran out of the office before driving back to her condo. And with nothing else to do she put on her Archer costume and headed for the HQ.

* * *

Inside HQ she walked to the super computer and wasn't at all surprised to see Fury there. All armored up and with his face covered yet again. Did he ever take that thing off?

"Hey there. Find something?" she asked as she came up to stand beside him.

"I'm working on something," Fury replied.

Merida nodded. She remained by his side in silent company before glancing over at him. She cocked her head to the side slightly. Just who was the person under that helmet?

Fury seemed to notice she was staring. He turned slightly to look at her. "Need something?" he asked.

"No. Ah was just thinking," she said dismissively. Fury shrugged before turning back to his work.

Merida continued to watch him. Did he like her?

Her eyes widened and she shook her head. Where had that thought come from? She flushed slightly as she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. Admittedly the mystery about him was very intriguing.

"So what's under that helmet of yours?" she asked curiously.

"A face. Everybody has one," he responded dryly as he continued to type. Merida frowned at him. Snarky bastard.

"I wonder…" she said aloud. Fury turned slightly to look at her. "Just what are you hiding under that helmet?" she asked. She leaned down and moved her face a little bit closer to his. "Who is the man behind the mask?"

Hiccup gulped underneath his helmet. She was very close. Even with the helmet in the way he could have sworn he could feel her breath on his face.

"No one interesting I assure you," he said, trying to will his voice not to crack from his nervousness.

Merida raised an eyebrow. "Somehow Ah doubt that." She pursed her lips in thought. She then stood up straight before taking a seat on the top of the computer desk top. She draped one leg over the other and stared directly into Fury's face. "Tell me about yourself Fury," she requested.

"Uh…uh…what do you want to know exactly?" he asked not knowing where to start.

"Do you have a job outside of this," she said gesturing to the armor. "Ah assume you do since you're not always here."

"Yes I do. And no, I won't tell you what it is," he said guessing her next question.

"Well Ah gonna guess it something that involves a lot of brain power," she offered. "No ordinary man could do what you do. So I'm gonna say a scientist, or an engineer."

Fury just shrugged. Not interested in telling her.

"What about family? Do you have one?" she asked next.

"Yes. Mom, dad, uncle, cousin, all that stuff," he replied casually.

"What about a lass?" she asked cocking her head to the side.

She saw him stiffen slightly. "Uhm. No," he said shaking his head.

"Hmmm," she replied thoughtfully. With a fake yawn she stretched her arms above her head and took in a breath. Puffing out her chest slightly as she inhaled, she took a peek at Fury who she noticed had looked away. She smirked to herself. He seemed to be easily flustered by women.

She shifted slightly where she sat. Uncrossing her legs to draped the other one closer to him. She noticed him glance at her long leg and look away again. This was fun. A little bit of revenge.

"Why not then? Are you ugly?" she asked jokingly.

"Maybe I am."

"Somehow Ah doubt that too," she said in a slightly flirtatious tone.

She could imagine his eyes going wide in surprise as she saw him flinch a little. She smiled devilishly. Oh yes, this was quite fun.

"Uhm…I got to go—," he suddenly said hurriedly as he quickly got up. "do…something in a place that's…"

"What's the rush?" Merida said getting up and stalking toward him. She added a little more sway to her hips as she walked. She suppressed a giggle as she noticed him backing away. A big man in a suit of armor on the run from the advances of the fairer sex.

Eventually he had nowhere else to go as he backed into a cave wall. He looked around frantically for a mean of escape when Merida stood directly in front of him. Her hands were behind her back as she gave him a smoldering smile.

"Aam just trying to learn a little more about ye. Is that so bad?" she asked pouting slightly. Truth was she was now very interested in him. What did he look like? How tall was he? He seemed to be very tall from his stature but that could just be the armor.

Hiccup's mouth went dry and his tongue swelled up. Coherent words and simple thought seemed beyond him at the moment. She was playing him good. Damn him and his awkwardness. Why did she have to be so damn sexy?

"I really need to go check on the thing," he stammered out.

Merida flared her hip and placed her hand on it. "Oh do ye then? And what pray tell is this 'thing' that require such immediate attention?" she asked in amusement. Merida loved making men squirm. It was something she never got tired of. And she could do this all day with Fury.

"I have to…I have to…I have to…feed Toothless," he suddenly said as he noticed the black wolf come into his field of vision. Said wolf perked up and padded over. Seeing Merida he wagged his tail excitedly and lolled his tongue out.

"Hey bud. You hungry? Sorry I forgot to feed you," he told the black wolf. Toothless cocked his head to the side in confusion. What did his master mean? He'd already been fed earlier.

"Co—come on bud," he stammered out as she shuffled to the side and away from his captor. "Let's go get you something to eat," he said as he quickly hurried off. Toothless watched him go. But followed loyally after him after overcoming his confusion.

Merida watched Fury make his hasty retreat. She smiled to herself widely.

_Ah guess Punz was right_, Merida thought to herself. It seemed as if Fury did like her.

And for some reason, that knowledge ignited a spark of excitement within her. She still wasn't over Hiccup. And she still wouldn't say she liked Fury. But this was a very good distraction from the heartache.

And messing with him was a nice boost to her ego.

Not to mention it was downright hilarious.

* * *

Later that night when all the team had gathered Fury suggested another night of patrols. He suggested going with Limelight once again but Archer insisted they should go together.

"You and Ah haven't spent much time together after all besides fighting," she said with her hands on her hips and a grin on her face. With her sound logic he had no choice but to agree.

Now he was alone with a woman who seemed to like making him squirm.

"So Fury. Why don't ye give me a little tour of yur city?" Archer asked him.

"I'm sure you already know most of it by now Archer," he replied.

"Oh aye. But what spots would make fur a great first date?" she asked with a wink.

_Gods help me, _he thought to himself. "I wouldn't know," he said shrugging.

"Oh come on. Where would you take me if ye wanted to show me a good time?"

It didn't seem like she'd let this go. But he couldn't take her to any of the places they'd gone on dates at. It might give him away. But suddenly he got an idea.

"Ok then. I got a place in mind. Come with me," he said gesturing for her to step forward. She raised an eyebrow but complied. Stepping forward he suddenly reached out and pulled her to him. She was caught off guard and blushed deeply in surprise. She was about to protest when suddenly his wings deployed and they shot into the air.

She let out a startled shout before gaining control of herself. She was used to being carried by her partner, just not like this. She wrapped her arms and legs around him as he flew them to a place only god knew.

* * *

"So blondie," Frost said as he flew next to Limelight. She looked over at him and raised an eyebrow. "How did you get your powers? I can sense that yours are based off magic like mine."

Limelight stopped flying to hover. She looked pensive to tell him.

"It's no big deal if you don't want to. Just curious is all," Frost said as he hovered beside her. She looked to him and he gave her a shrug. Letting her know he wasn't pressuring her.

Limelight mulled it over before giving a relenting sigh. "Well, when I was a baby I was kidnapped by Gothel," she began.

"Whoa seriously?" he asked in surprised. Limelight nodded.

"Gothel has been alive for a couple of centuries. But she's very vain. As she got older she sought out the key to eternal life," she explained.

"Psh. Typical," Frost said in annoyance.

"Yep. She found her own way to extend her life and keep her youth. By using her magic to drain the youth of others. But even that was only ever temporary. So she looked for something more permanent."

Frost nodded in understanding. "So where do you come in?" he asked.

"Well. Somehow Gothel obtained a special flower. Said to contain a piece of the sun itself," she said looking to the sky. "She believed that this was the key to eternal life and beauty. But she needed a test subject," she said. Letting her words sink in.

"So you?" he asked. She nodded.

"She stole me. Then she used that flower to brew a special elixir. She didn't know if the elixir would work. For all she knew it might have killed her. So she made me take it instead."

"And what happened?"

"Nothing at first. I can vaguely remember Gothel getting angry. She only gave me a drop of it when nothing happened. I remember her leaving it in front of me as she walked away to look through her spell books. I was a baby and I guess I was thirsty so I picked the elixir up and drank it all," she said with a shrug.

"And then something did happen. My brown hair turned blonde. And the energy of the sun itself began to flow through my being."

"Cool. So what about Gothel?"

"Well. She was mad at first. But she learned that I had obtained much more life force than the ordinary person. One that could be replenished almost indefinitely with sunlight. So she locked me away, intent on using me as her personal fountain of youth."

"Dang. So what she locked you in a tower or something?" Frost asked curiously.

"Kind of. An old building. But one day this young kid broke in who was hiding from the police. He was a trouble maker and he found me," she said with a fond smile. "He became my friend. My first and only friend. And he kept visiting me. I told him my story. He tried to get me out of there but I wouldn't go. I thought Gothel was my mother after all. And she'd told me how terrible the outside was."

"But one day. The boy came back and showed me something. It was me. A missing kid flier. That's when I realized Gothel had been lying to me. That she wasn't my mom and she'd stolen me away. I tried to get away with my fiend then but Gothel caught us."

"Not knowing what else to do and thinking she would never let me go otherwise, my friend cut my hair off."

Frost raised an eyebrow. Noticing her hair was still blond and pretty long.

"When he did my hair turned brown. I couldn't feel the sun's power in me anymore and Gothel assumed the magic in me was gone. So she completely lost interest in me and fled. My friend took me to the police and they reunited me with my parents," she said with a happy smile.

"And what about your powers?"

"Well it turned out that the magic wasn't in my hair. It was inside of me and my hair was just a conduit," she explained.

"Like my staff," he said holding up the cane.

"Uh huh. So one day a few months after I reunited with my parents, on a whim, I sang the song Gothel used to rouse the magic in my hair. And suddenly I could feel the power again. My hair turned blond once more and I felt…different," she explained. "I felt stronger, faster, better."

"As I got older I would test just what I could do when my hair was blond. And I kept pushing my limits until I discovered I could fly, lift cars, and leap over buildings. And I kind of just fell into the superhero thing," she finished with a shrug.

"What about Gothel?"

Her face formed into a scowl. "Yeah. She saw me in the news and figured out who I was. So she came back to get me. But I wasn't going without a fight anymore. With my powers I fought her off. But she escaped and swore revenge and that she'd get me one day. We've been enemies ever since," she finished.

"Hmm. Interesting story." Frost said thoughtfully.

"What about you?" she asked curiously.

"Me?"

"Do you see anyone else?" she said sarcastically.

"Ok blondie hold your horses," Frost chastised.

"Well I can't tell you much about me before I got them. But let's just say I died," he began.

"You died?" Limelight asked in shock.

"Yep. Drowned in a lake. That should have been the end but…have you heard of the guardians?" he asked her.

"…I think so. That superhero team right?" she asked.

"Yes that's them. So anyway, their old leader was call Moon Man. He was a very powerful sorcerer. The most powerful one on the planet at the time."

"Ok and?" Limelight pressed.

"So he saw me die. He pulled me from the water, and…I don't know. I guess he saw something in me. So he used his powers to save me. To give me a new life," he said shrugging and ruffling his hair.

"But unfortunately the cost was his own. He died and his power inside of me changed and gave me the power to control the wind and snow. I wandered around until the Guardians found me. They sensed Moon Man's power inside of me and they took me in. They raised me, trained me and we fought side by side to protect the world," Frost finished proudly.

"Then I decided to go solo. Came to Berk. Met Fury since this was his city at the time. At first we couldn't stand each other. But then we just kind of became a team," he said with a shrug.

Limelight smiled. "Cool."

Frost smiled back and then looked up to see the moon. "I often times wonder what Moon Man saw in me. To give his life to save one kid."

"I think he saw the potential of who you could become," Limelight said smiling wide.

He turned to look at her. He moved closer. Hovering just in front of her. She gave a nervous chuckle and leaned back, slightly flustered by his closeness.

"Ya know, I think you'd look good as a brunette Blondie," he said with a wink. Limelight flinched and turned a deep crimson. Frost just burst out laughing before flying away. Limelight watched him go. She felt a tugging at her heart.

She was developing feeling for him.

And Jack too.

Oh she hoped Frost wasn't serious about her. He seemed to only enjoy flirting with her. Maybe he was just messing with her. But then again as she spent more time with him, she saw how nice he could be. Like how he helped her train.

She had never been in a situation like this before. She pleaded to the heavens that she wouldn't have to make a choice between them.

* * *

"So this is yer secret romantic place?" Archer asked. They were both on a building over as they looked down at an Italian restaurant with a large rooftop dining section.

"Just give it a moment," Fury said looking at his gauntlet for the time. She raised an eyebrow at him but complied. She shifted on her feet and looked down to see the people eating. She couldn't help but notice that some of them were couples. And looked quite happy.

She felt a longing ache in her heart to have that with someone else. She though she and Hiccup could've had that. As she continued to started she started to daydream about her and Hiccup having dinner here. She imagined it would be lovely.

"And now," Fury said cutting through her daydream. She looked at him in annoyance to see him pointing at the doorway leading to the lower section to the building. She watched as several musician entered. One with a violin, one with a lute, and one with an accordion.

"Are you ready?" Fury asked as he came to stand next to her. She raised an eyebrow at him as he leaned over to intently watch the performers get ready. He rested his hands on the rooftop ledge in front of him. She turned to watch and listen.

The accordion player took the lead, readying his instrument and making a show of warming up and setting the count. Then he started playing and singing. His deep voice beautiful and carrying over the stillness of night.

_~Oh this is the night, it's a beautiful night~_

_~And we call it Bella Notte~_

_~Look at the skies, they have stars in their eyes~_

Merida nearly burst out in laughter. How cheesy, how ridiculous, how…completely romantic she thought as she continued to listen. The man's voice and his accordion along with the lute and the violin was just so beautiful. In moments she found herself smiling and swaying in time to the music.

The man's voice was just so warm and rich.

"Told you," Fury said smugly beside her.

She stiffened at remembering he was there. Suddenly he was a little too close. Flushing she stepped sideways and away from him. She rubbed her arm nervously and looked away.

"I like to come here sometimes. These guys sing almost every night at this time," he explained as he also enjoyed the music.

_~On this lovely Bella Notte~_

_~Side by side with your loved one~_

Fury turned his head slightly to glance at her out of the corner of his eye. She did the same thing. Something about the song and the music called out to them.

"I guess this would work," she admitted. "If the lass was drunk enough," she said with a shrug.

"Oh of course. This would be plan B," he joked. She couldn't help but chuckle. "I like to imagine what it would be like to have this with someone. If my life weren't so…complicated anyway," he said wistfully.

"Ugh. You sound like someone Ah know," she groaned.

_~You'll find enchantment here~_

_~The night will weave its magic spell~_

_~When the one you love is near!~_

Fury cast another glance at Archer. She had no idea how hard it was to hold back. She had no idea how hard it was for him not to just reach out and hold her. Suddenly Archer turned to look at him. He was too slow to turn away so they ended up staring right at each other.

Fury was trapped by her gaze. He was mesmerized by her sky blue eyes. Eyes that he could look at forever.

Though she couldn't see his she couldn't turn away either. She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks.

And they both just stood there. Staring.

_~Oh this is the night, and the heavens are right!~_

_~On this lovely Bella Notte!~_

When the song was over they finally managed to tear their eyes away from each other. Below the people of the restaurant all clapped for the performers. Fury clapped with them, even if they couldn't hear them. Archer clapped alongside him.

Ok. So if this had been an actual first date, which is wasn't, he might have actually impressed her enough for another date.

But this wasn't a date.

Suddenly Fury's head shot up.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Outcasts. Local street gang. Causing some trouble," he turned to look at her. "Shall we?"

She nodded firmly and allowed herself to be picked up.

* * *

Downtown a group of Outcasts had been caught making an illegal drug smuggling deal. The police had been having trouble subduing them until Fury and Archer showed. So they stood back and formed a perimeter. Making sure none of the Outcasts would slip by them and letting the heroes do their job.

Archer stood behind Fury as they advanced on the line of Outcasts shooting from behind their cars. His Kinetic Energy barrier was doing its job, keeping the bullets at bay as they advanced. Once they reached the line of car Fury struck out with his right leg. With the power of his suit he sent the car lurching in the opposite direction.

Archer used the opportunity to leap out from behind him and charge. She slid over the roof of the car, kicking an Outcast peeking over the top as she went. When she reached the other side she grabbed another Outcast behind the head before slamming him through the window of the car. Then with a swift punch she knocked him out.

As she did that Fury placed a hand underneath the car and flipped it over. The Outcasts all leapt out from behind it and started firing at him. But his armor was too strong to sustain any real damage from their low caliber bullets. Raising his palms he started blasting them. Aiming for the torsos and hitting them with enough force to send them flying and knocking them out cold.

Archer continued to fight in close quarters with the Outcasts. One threw a punch at her face. She jerked to the side before grabbing his arm and pulling it forward. Then she dropped and jammed her elbow into his lower ribs. Cracking them. As he doubled over in pain she brought her knee up and in between his eyes, knocking him out cold.

As she dropped one Outcast another one advanced on her. She waited until he was in range before delivering a high kick to his temple. He immediately went down.

Fury kept blasting Outcasts futility attempting to shoot him in his armor. He sent them flying with every well placed shot. Eventually one picked up a tire iron and charged him. He swung at his right. Fury raised an arm up and caught the tire iron. Then he trust his palm forward, knocking the air from the Outcast and sending him flying away in a heap.

Something bumped into his back. He glanced over his shoulder to see Archer, her bow drawn and an arrow notched. Looking passed her he saw Outcasts advancing with chains, knifes, and crow bars.

Without warning the Outcasts in front of Fury fired. He raised a hand and activated the Kinetic Energy barrier. The bullets bounced harmlessly off of it until they ran out. Dropping the barrier, Archer fired an arrow at the Outcasts in front of her before drawing another arrow and twisting to fire another at the group in front of Fury.

Both arrows exploded, releasing tear gas that blinded them. Drawing another arrow Archer fired at the group in front of her. The head exploded to release a large net that ensnared them. Using his infrared Fury advanced on the ones in front of him. With well-placed punches and the Taser feature in his gauntlet he took out every one of them.

As the smoke cleared Archer and Fury turned to look at each other. Both were smiling. The entire time the song they'd heard earlier that night had been playing in their heads. For some reason it just seemed right.

Suddenly headlights lit up behind Archer. She turned to see a car barreling towards her. An Outcasts was trying to run her over. As she was about to leap out of the way Fury suddenly surged forward, he pushed he aside gently before throwing a punch down at the car's hood with all his strength. The force of his punch sent the car into a mad flip over their head. It crashed on the other side of them. Archer stared at it for a moment before turning to look back at Fury.

She nearly jumped back as he was suddenly right in front of her. Looking down at her. She stared back up at him. Her heart was racing from the excitement of the battle. And she wasn't entirely sure if the heat was from all her exertion…or something else. He seemed so tall. So much like a warrior. He had fire in him. A passion that matched her own.

He was like some kind of ancient warrior from myth and legend.

Fury looked down at her. Her face was flushed. Her chest heaving as the rush of adrenaline wore off. He could see a few strands of red hair framing her face. Her blue eyes were blazing with fierceness. She looked alive. She looked beautiful.

They both couldn't help but think how well they worked together. Fighting together seemed so natural. They hadn't needed to speak. They just did.

Archer could feel her heart hammering in her chest. But now she was sure it wasn't from the fight. It was ridiculous. She didn't even know what he looked like. She knew hardly anything about him.

And yet…something was drawing her to him. It was more than just the mystery surrounding him.

And though she'd still blame Rapunzel later.

She couldn't deny it. She was falling for him.

* * *

**New chapter. Hope you like. Oh the conflicted feelings. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Woman's Touch**

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT PUNZ!" Merida cried as she attempted to beat her best friend to death with a pillow. The blonde yelped as she attempted to defend herself against the red heads relentless pillow assault.

"What's my fault?" Rapunzel squeaked out.

Merida only growled and kept hitting her. After defeating the group of Outcasts alongside Fury he decided patrol was over. So he carried her back to HQ before immediately walking to his quarters without saying a word. Merida went to her own room and attempted to organize her thoughts. She also tried to banish the new feelings that had taken root in her chest.

But she couldn't. Because the cold hard truth of the matter was she was falling for Fury. So she decided to vent her frustration out on Rapunzel who she blamed for putting the idea in her head.

"Ye put the idea in my head that I might like Fury. And now Ah do," she shouted before smothering her friend's face. Rapunzel said something muffled that she couldn't understand. So deciding not suffocate her best friend she lifted the pillow off her before smacking her one more time for good measure.

"So you really like him?" Rapunzel asked curiously. Merida flushed as she hugged the pillow to her chest. Then she gave a tiny nod. "Aww. That's so cute," Rapunzel giggled out.

Merida looked up at her threw her a withering glare. "No its not. Ah still like Hiccup too," Merida cried in frustration.

"Well maybe you just like both of them," Rapunzel offered. "And maybe you should consider Fury as a more suitable partner. I mean, I'm sorry Mer, but maybe Hiccup just doesn't want to be anything more," Rapunzel said apologetically.

Her last words stung Merida in the heart. But with the way Hiccup had been acting towards her, maybe she was right. Maybe she had to face facts and accept that she and Hiccup would never be anything more.

"But I don't even ken what he looks like," Merida said with a groan.

"They say love is blind," Rapunzel said with a shrug.

Merida released a gusty sigh as she attempted to come to terms with her feelings. Then she wondered what exactly she should do about this new development. Should she just tell Fury? Or should she wait for him to do something about it?

* * *

"So what's the deal between you and Merida?" Jack asked inside of Fury's quarters. Hiccup laid upon his couch pensive. He'd been trying to distance himself from Merida. But after tonight he'd felt the spark between them once again. Jack noticed the change between them.

"Nothing," Hiccup lied.

"Didn't seem like nothing," Jack insisted. He saw how Hiccup all but ran to his room with Merida watching him go with a look of longing. And something more.

"Then you saw wrong," Hiccup growled out. He wished Jack would just drop it.

"You still like her man. Why are you making this so difficult? Just be with her," Jack insisted.

"You know why I can't do that Jack," Hiccup said as she tried to control his temper.

"Dude. Merida doesn't need to be protected. You've seen her. Hell, she beat you in a fight the first time you met," Jack pointed out.

Hiccup remained silent as she stared straight ahead. He wouldn't allow himself to be swayed.

Jack sighed. He ran a hand through his hair as he looked at his friend. "Look man. I know what this is really about. This is about Ke—"

"Don't you dare say her name Jack," Hiccup cut him off with a snarl. He glared daggers into his friend's eyes. He knew any mention of _her _was taboo.

"You can't know that the same thing would happen to Merida like it did to her. And Merida is a hero. She knows the risks and can take care of herself," Jack persevered.

Hiccup remained silent as he tore his eyes way from Jack and glared at the wall in front of him. "Get out Jack. I'm tired," he said evenly.

Jack scowled at his friend. But with a huff he stood and made his way to the door. It opened and he stepped into the doorway. "Merida isn't Keiko man," Jack said before he stepped out of the room and the door closed behind him.

Hiccup frowned some more as the memories he'd buried inside of himself started to spring forth. The pain was the reason he'd rather not remember it. It was a reminder of why Fury couldn't have anyone special. A reminder of why he'd stayed alone for all these years.

He couldn't let that happen again. He wouldn't. And if being alone would ensure that. Then as a hero it was what he had to do.

* * *

The next day Jack and Rapunzel went on another date. They went to the local carnival to have some fun. They very much enjoyed each other's company. There they rode some rides, played some games, Jack won her a chameleon plushy, and they ate some junk food. They spent hours walking around and having a good time.

As they held hands and walked side by side Jack glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. Jack was really liking Rapunzel. Jack had never been a relationship type of guy. He'd really only ever had one serious girlfriend and then a whole bunch of flings and one night stands. But Rapunzel was so sweet and fun he was actually hoping for it to become serious. He felt a little guilty for hiding his superhero identity from her and hoped he could reveal himself to her one day.

But in the meantime he enjoyed teasing her as Frost. He had a feeling she was developing feeling for him as Frost as well. He didn't find anything wrong with it since they were the same person after all. And he imagined the look on her face when she found out would be priceless.

As they got onto the carnival's Ferris wheel Rapunzel looked around. Something caught her eye.

"Hey Jack, what's that for?" Rapunzel said as she pointed to a large stage being set up.

"Oh there's supposed to be some kind of party or celebration concert during the eclipse," Jack said shrugging.

"There's going to be an eclipse?" Rapunzel asked curious.

"Yeah….solar I think. I forget when exactly it's supposed to occur," he replied.

Rapunzel 'hmmed' thoughtfully.

"You wanna go?" Jack asked with a smile. Rapunzel smiled back. She nodded in confirmation. "Great, it's a date then." Rapunzel giggled excitedly. Looking forward to the concert and another date with Jack.

Jack continued to look into her eyes. Then slowly he began to lean forward. Rapunzel noticed this and began to lean forward to meet him. Slowly her eyes started to close as her lips met Jack's. The pair had shared kisses like these a few times already. They both found it very enjoyable.

Jack began to move his lips against hers, earning a pleased hum. Slowly he reached out with his free hand and pulled her closer. Rapunzel didn't protest as he deepened the kiss.

It was awkward to kiss Jack at first. The only other person she'd ever kissed before was Eugene. But after only a moment she found it very enjoyable to kiss him. It was different then kissing Eugene. Not worse or better, just different.

She decided that she liked a little different.

* * *

Archer panted heavily after defeating a group of ten practice drones. After waking up and going to work to work on the upcoming ball being hosted by their companies Merida noticed a chang in Hiccup. She was now sure he was staring at her when he thought she wasn't looking. And it was confusing her.

Did he not like her anymore? But if he didn't why was he staring? These thoughts swirled in her mind like a maelstrom. And all the while she was also thinking about Fury. She had feelings for him. He was compassionate, intelligent, strong, and brave. Everything Hiccup was. Her heart was torn, at war with itself.

After work she went home to change before heading to the Cove. As she walked around she unwillingly was searching for Fury. She didn't know why, but she was desperate to find him. She had to confront him. But when she walked to the supercomputer she was surprised to find him not there. So then she walked around and checked the other rooms. But he wasn't in the training room, garage, or any of the unrestricted areas. So that left the restricted areas and his own quarters.

She ended up walking to his room. But when she reached the door she just froze. What should she do? Ask him if he had feeling for her? Confess that she was developing feelings for him? And then what?

With a heavy sigh she walked back to her own room. Miserable and confused by the turn of events in her love life.

* * *

Rapunzel sat with Frost in the lounge as they watched TV. After her date with Jack Rapunzel had headed back to the base. When she got there she ran into Frost and the two of them decided to relax together. As they sat together Rapunzel though about their other two teammates.

"Hey Frost?" Rapunzel said looking to him. He 'hmmed' to acknowledge her. "What kind of girls does Fury like?" she asked curiously.

Frost turned to look at her. "You're not falling for him, are you blondie? I thought we had something special," he said dramatically as she placed a hand over his heart to feign heartbreak.

Rapunzel rolled her eyes. "No. I'm just curious," she said with a shrug. "I mean you know who he is out of costume so I thought you might know his preferences."

Frost looked at her and evaluated her question. He wondered if it was ok to tell her. "Fury has never been with anyone since I've known him," he informed her.

Rapunzel cocked her head to the side. "Really. No girlfriend at all?"

Frost sighed and nodded. "Fury lost someone he cared about a long time ago. He's avoided romance ever since," he replied evenly.

"What happened to her?"

Frost remained silent and his jaw clenched. "He couldn't save her," was all he said before remaining silent.

Rapunzel's eyes went wide at that information. Fury had lost someone? And she guessed it meant from his superhero identity. She couldn't imagine what that must have been like. She got up and went to go look for Merida. She went up to her room and waited for the door to open. When it did she stepped inside to see Merida in her Archer costume and looking ready to head out.

"Going somewhere Mer?" Rapunzel asked curiously.

"Aye. I'm going to find some answers about our enemies," she said firmly.

"Ok, should I go tell Fury?"

"Nae," Merida said sharply. Rapunzel flinched at her harsh tone. Merida noticed this and softened. "Sorry Punz. Ah think Ah would rather handle this alone," she said politely.

Rapunzel frowned at her. She reached behind her and pulled out her mask before putting it on. "We're a team Mer. If Archer goes out, then so does Limelight," she said firmly.

Merida smiled. With a nod they headed out. But not before stopping by the garage. Merida was about to jump on her bike when another caught her attention.

It was all a blue, sleek, and looked very advanced. She walked over to it and eyed it curiously. Just below the windshield there looked like a screen interface. She touched the screen curiously and it came to life. Suddenly a blue light scanned the surface of her face.

"ARCHER RECOGNIZED. FLIGHTMARE ENGINE ENGAGED" came a computer voice. Suddenly the console came to life and the engine roared. Archer smiled. She threw a leg over and put her helmet on. She touched the console and a display of the bike's status came up. It showed the weapons system, power levels, and even a flight mode.

Archer smiled in excitement. Next to her Rapunzel stood at the ready. They waited until the pathway to the exit lit up. When it did Archer revved the engine and took off while Limelight floated off the ground and after her.

Archer loved the feeling and the sound of the bike. Eventually they reached the top and she headed straight for the exit of the shipyard. The door opened automatically and she zoomed outside with her partner following close behind.

Curious she activated the flight mode. She waited until she could feel vibrations coming from the bike. The soon it began to shift around as parts realigned and even wings popped out from the sides. Then its thrusters initiated. Pulling back, lower thrusters along the bottom of the bike propelled her into the air. She looked down and smiled.

"WOOOO HOOOOOO!" she shouted as she threw a fist into the air.

* * *

In downtown Berk was a small bar that was notorious hangout for the Outcast gang. No one came to this bar besides them. Not unless they had a death wish. The bar was currently run by a man named Savage. He was a high ranking member of the Outcasts gangs and was in charge since their leader was put away. He smiled as he enjoyed a drink from his private office above the bar.

All around him Outcasts were talking about scores and crimes they committed or planned to commit. Others were drinking, playing pool, betting, and arm wrestling, fighting, and playing a game of darts. As one man was preparing to throw a dart something whizzed past his head and buried itself into the bull's eyes. The bar went silent as they saw it was an arrow. All at once their gazes drifted to the entrance to see someone in a cloak and a lady with long blonde hair. Instantly they recognized them as Archer and Limelight.

Slowly the women entered with Archer taking the lead. They made their way to the bar. The Outcasts eyed them warily. They wondered what these two hero were doing in town. Ever since they'd hear of their arrival they'd had to cut back on crime. They already had enough to deal with Frost and Fury around.

"Bar keep. Give me some whisky," Archer demanded. The bar tender raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest in defiance.

"We don't serve your kind here," the big man said gruffly.

"Ladies you mean?" Archer asked sarcastically.

"Maybe you ladies should leave before you get hurt," came a man from beside Archer. She turned to look at him. The man was huge. Over six feet in height and rippling muscles. He could easily crush her like a grape. But she wasn't scared in the least.

"Oh should we?" Archer asked dangerously. "And who is gonna make us?" she asked lowly as she leaned back against the counter top. The big man growled and stepped forward. He reached out to grab her when a hand grabbed his wrist. He looked down to see Limelight grabbing his wrist. He was about to snatch it out when she increased the pressure of her grip, causing him to cry out as he felt her nearly crush his bones.

"Easy there boys. We just want some information," Limelight said as she twisted the man's arm back and forced him to his knees. Suddenly a shout from behind caught her attention. She glanced back to see a man coming at her with a wooden chair over his head. She just stood there as he charged and swung it down on top of her.

But even with all his strength she didn't budge as the chair broke apart upon contact. The man stood there in shock as he still held the chair's legs in his hands. With a growl Limelight swung the man she was holding around and crashed him into the man who'd attacked her, sending them both flying across the room in a screaming tumbling heap.

"Anyone else wanna make us go?" Archer challenged aloud as she swept her gaze across the room. "Thought not," she said smugly. She turned back around to see a shot glass of whisky in front of her. She smiled in satisfaction as she downed it. "Thank ye," she said politely.

"So what information are you looking for then?" the bar tender asked with a scowl. He might as well humor them. The sooner they got what they wanted the sooner they would be gone.

"We're looking fur two men. Tall, brothers, red heads, one has an eye patch," she said listing off a brief description of the Stabbington brothers. She'd figured they'd probably visited this place at least once.

The bar tender rubbed his chin in thought. He did remember the two. And if the ladies were looking for them then why shouldn't he tell them. It's not like those out of Towner's were Outcasts. He held no loyalty to them.

As he opened his mouth to speak he was cut off. "Not so fast now," came the voice of his boss. He looked over to see Savage walking over to them. He walked up to Archer and looked down at her condescendingly. He snorted, unimpressed by her. "Sorry ladies. But my patrons come here for a little privacy. I can't just break their trust," he said with a sneer.

Archer frowned. "Its nae like they're one of you. What does it matter?"

"Be that as it may. The answer is no. Now I suggest you leave," he said dangerously.

"Oh laddie," Archer said shaking her head. "You don't want to threaten us," she warned waggling a finger back and forth in the air.

Savage scowled and snapped his fingers. Immediately many of the Outcasts stood up. A majority of them pulled out weapons such as knives and guns. "You're outnumbered," Savage said blankly.

The room was tense and silent. But Archer just smiled. She wasn't scared in the least. "Ye may have more guns," she conceded. But then suddenly a golden glow caught everyone's attention as their gazes shifted to Limelight, whose hair was starting to glow a bright gold. "But mine is bigger," Archer said confidently.

Just as the Outcast prepared to take aim Archer leapt behind the counter. While she did this Limelight raised a fist up high before punching the ground with all her strength. The force of which rocked the entire building and created a shock wave that shattered all the windows, opened up a crater, and knocked everyone off their feet.

As the Outcasts started to get up some of them found Limelight's hair lashing out from the cloud of smoke and wrapping around them. They screamed as it lifted them up before tossing them out of the broken windows of through the door while also ripping their weapons from their hands.

With a cover Archer leapt back out and charged into the fray. With kicks and punches both fast and precise she downed the outcasts left and right. People tried to charge Limelight but she easily batted them aside. Eventually no one was left to face them.

They both turned to see Savage still on the ground. Archer came over and yanked him to his feet. She gave him a punch across the face to let him know the meant business.

"Start gabbin'," she demanded harshly. He remained silent and sneered at them. "Oh, so that's how it's gonna be then?"

"Oh, are you bad cop then Archer? The only lady I fear would be Calamity. So piss off," he snarled at them.

"Oh nae. Aam not bad cop. She is," she said motioning with her head to Limelight. He looked over to see her raise an arm up. Then her hand started to glow as she focused energy into it. Then without warning the shot off a sun blast that opened up a truck sized hole in the side of the building.

Savage growled and cursed in anger before looking back at Archer. "If ye still want a building to run Ah suggest you talk before she reduces this place to a pile of wood," she warned.

Savage growled and glared. But in the end he relented. He still wanted his place after all. With a smile the women left. Knowing where to find their guys. As they exited the building the Outcast cleared a path for them as they sauntered off.

* * *

Inside an abandoned warehouse the Stabbington brothers were looking over their haul. In the back of an 18 wheeler was a large selection of robotic parts for their bosses ally Drago Bludvist. They'd managed to smuggle it in unnoticed and were waiting for Drago to come pick it up. They sat there bored as they downed beers and fingered their knives.

Horace finished off a can and got an idea. Standing up he walked to place it atop an old assembly line. Then he walked back to where he'd been sitting and pulled out his gun.

"What are you doing?" Jasper asked him in annoyance.

"Just passing the time," he said taking aim. He lined up his shot and moved his finger to the trigger. Keeping his aim steady he was about to squeeze the trigger when suddenly an arrow came and knocked the gun out of his hands.

He yelled in surprise as his gun went flying away. Hit brother leapt to his feet and they started scanning the room. Suddenly they heard a faint humming sound before something flew through the open window. It was some kind of machine that was hovering above them. And atop it was a familiar cloaked figure.

"Archer!" Jasper growled with hate. He was about to pull out his own gin when suddenly golden locks whipped around it and yanked it from his grip He turned to see Limelight standing a few feet to the side with a playful smile.

Archer hovered above them on the Flightmare. Its sensors locked onto them. "Targets Identified. Neutralize?" it asked.

"Neutralize," she commanded. Her response was followed as the machine began covering the brother in a blue vapor like substance.

The bother watched confused as they were sprayed by the strange substance. And then suddenly they found themselves frozen before keeling over. They looked around bewildered as they couldn't move a muscle.

"Cool," Archer said in amazement she touched down and got off. She ran a hand over the bike in appreciation. She was really starting to like it.

She and Limelight walked over to stand above the brother and looked down at them with proud smirks. "Well that was easy," Limelight said happily.

"Aye," Archer agreed. "Now let's see just what you two know when ye can move again," she said as she pulled out handcuffs.

They weren't going anywhere.

* * *

**New chapter. Hope you like. Feel free to review**.


	11. Chapter 11

**Fear Itself**

Archer and Limelight stared down the Stabbington brothers. They could move again and they were cuffed with their hands behind their backs. The men stared up at them with death glares.

"Now then. Tell us where your boss is," Archer demanded. The brothers snorted and remained silent. "Tell us where Gothel is or else—"

"Or else what Archer?" Jasper challenged with a sneer. "You gonna sick goldilocks on me? That may work on other people but we both know she practically farts sunshine and rainbows."

Archer glared down at the man. He was right. Limelight could intimidate but she was too sweet for the rougher aspects of interrogation.

"You're both goodie two shoes. You aren't gonna do anything," Horace spat at them.

Archer responded with a swift hard punch across the face. Horace spat out some blood before glaring up at her.

"You have no idea what's coming ladies. Our boss and her new pals are gonna turn the world on its head. And when they do I'm fine being a lackey over dead," Jasper said coolly.

Archer and Limelight frowned. They were getting nowhere. They needed answers. A location. Archer kneeled down to ask some more when the Flightmare suddenly spoke.

"Incoming Hostiles Detected. ETA…5 seconds," it said. Archer and Limelight exchanged a glance before sure enough they started hearing the humming of thrusters in the distance. Then through the window flew in 10 of Drago's robots. Followed by another 15 walking in from the entrance of the warehouse.

Archer equipped her bow and drew an arrow in preparation for a fight. Limelight started gathering her energies as she stood at the ready. The robots didn't move for a moment as they seemed to be scanning and evaluating the situation.

"Enemy Recognized. Archer and Limelight. Terminate," they suddenly all said in unison. Then they all started raising their arms and pointing their guns and aiming their missiles at them.

"Drago Bots detected. Initiating Attack," the Flightmare said. The bike switched over to autopilot before deploying its weapons. Then it started firing plasma blasts at the robots while taking to the air.

As the robot began returning fire Limelight grabbed Archer and the Stabbington brother before flying them to cover behind the truck.

"Thanks Limelight," Archer said gratefully as she pressed herself against the truck. Limelight nodded in acceptance before leaping onto the top of the truck's trailer. She took in the scene. The robots stopped firing at the trailer. Likely because their objective was to secure the cargo inside. They instead started shooting at the Flightmare which was evading, flying and swooping around the room while returning fire.

She glanced down to see some of the robots attempting to fly to the other side of the trailer. Narrowing her eyes in determination she leapt at them. She immediately punched one hard enough to send it hurtling to the floor. It crashed into the ground before she wrapped her hair around another one and then whipped it into one trying to get by her.

One tried to fly below her but she noticed it. She tackled it to the ground. Getting up she stomped down on its head, crushing it and disabling it. Another came at her, she raised a hand up and fired a sun blast at it. She put in enough power to melt a hole in it. It exploded in a huge fireball as she prepared to blast the others.

As she fought she was getting shot with bullets. Luckily for her she was mostly invulnerable to low caliber fire. They still stung though. It felt like getting hit with small pebbles. But she ignored them and continued fighting.

Meanwhile, Archer was fighting against the robot trying to come around the side of the trailer. She edged over to one side and peeked around the corner. She saw several robots coming. Notching her arrow she stepped out from the trailer and fired.

The arrow head glowed red hot and as it sailed through the air. When it struck the first robot it melted a hole in it and pierced straight through, piercing two more behind it. The robots started to spasm and spark violently before they went offline due to the damage.

Archer's eye widened. Ok, so she had to admit the arrows Fury made for her were incredible. Loud footsteps got her attention as she glanced back to the Stabbington brothers, she saw a robot breaking the handcuffs on them, freeing them.

With a growl she drew and arrow and fired at it. The arrow pierced it head and released a massive electrical surge that shut it down. Its glowing eyes went dead as it fell forward and went offline. The brother used the opportunity and entered the truck for cover. That was fine for Archer. She wouldn't have to worry about them.

Suddenly a metallic screech was head behind her. She turned around to see a robot flying directly at her. She was about to roll out of the way when Limelight descended on it. She drop kicked it into the ground, causing it to explode. From the flames Limelight emerged unscathed. She brushed some ash off herself as she walked toward her partner.

She watched Archer suddenly draw an arrow and level it at her. She flinched slightly as she fired. It sailed passed her head. She glanced back to see it impact with a robot and explode, reducing it to scrap.

"Thanks," she said gratefully.

"Your welcome. How many more?" Archer asked.

"About five or six," Limelight said peeking around the truck.

"More incoming Hostiles detected. ETA…3 seconds," the Flightmare said as it suddenly came to hover above them. Both women groaned in annoyance. And sure enough more of the robots came pouring through the windows of the warehouse. After a few moments there were thirty of them in total.

"Large number of Drago bots detected," the Flightmare pointed out. Missile launcher deployed from its nooks and crannies and fired, taking out five of them. "Recommend Localized EMP blast. Denied or Granted?" it asked Archer.

Archer's eyes widened in surprise. "Granted!" she shouted up at it.

The Flightmare responded. From its center a missile popped out. It fired it straight into the center of the warehouse. The head exploded sending out a small electromagnetic pulse that shut down the robots. The robots all fell to the ground in heaps. The Flightmare however was protected by its shielding.

Limelight walked up to one of the downed robots and kicked it in the head. "And stay down you piece of junk!" she growled at it. "Well that wasn't too bad," she said looking to her partner.

"Nae," Archer said in agreement. The Flightmare touched down on the ground next to her. She ran a hand over it. She loved this bike. "Flightmare, are there anymore hostiles incoming?" she asked it.

"Scanning…scanning…no hostiles detected. Area secure," it informed her.

"Good," she said with a satisfied smile. She turned to see Limelight waling back towards her. She smiled at her. Her partner smiled back. Both of them beamed with pride at their victory.

But their celebration was cut off as suddenly a robotic claw ripped out of the side of the trailer and grabbed Limelight arm. Her eye's widened in surprise before she was suddenly pulled through.

"Limelight!" Archer cried in surprise.

"Hey Archer!" came a voice behind her. She hipped around to see Horace smiling and holding up a bazooka. "Smile for me," he said as he took aim. Archer cursed before he fired. Archer leapt to the side and rolled away in time. But the Flightmare went up in a huge explosion.

She looked up from a kneeling position to see the remains of it. "Fury is gonna be so mad," she said with a sigh. But she didn't have time to dwell on it as Jorace pulled out another weapon. A flamethrower. He gave an evil smile and a maniacal laugh as he aimed and sent a stream of fire at her.

Unable to think of a way to avoid the fire Archer crouched and wrapped her cloak around herself as the flames came at her.

Meanwhile, the trailer rocked back and forth as the two people fought inside. Then from the other side of the trailer Limelight burst out. She hit the ground on her back before rolling and planting her feet into the ground. She looked up from her kneeling position as she awaited for her opponent to follow.

Suddenly two metallic claws gripped the edges of the hole she'd emerged from and tore it open wider. Inside the trailer was Jasper. He was clad in a bulky robotic power suit. He smiled maliciously and his single eye twinkled in dark eagerness. He leapt out of the trailer and started walking toward her.

"Like the suit Limelight? A gift from our boss' partner Drago. Probably reminds you of your new buddy Night Fury huh?" he said with a smirk. "I've been wanting to bust up that pretty face of yours for years. And now…" he paused as he punched a fist into his palm.

Limelight growled and charged him. Jasper smiled and rushed to meet her. When they got into striking distance Limelight swung her fist at him. But Jasper caught it with his left hand before delivering a powerful punch across her face with his right. Then he punched her in the stomach.

Limelight doubled over in pain. Jasper grabbed her by the shoulder and lifted her up. Then he bent over and rammed into her, driving his shoulder into her chest he charged forward.

He rammed her though several assembly lines causing her to cry out in pain as her back impacted with the steel. Then he drove her into the warehouse wall. Pulling back he began punching her in the chest repeatedly, cracking the stone wall behind her and driving her into it.

Jasper just smiled and laughed darkly. He loved the power this suit gave him. He could finally pummel Limelight to death with his bare hands. He stopped when he got tired and her eyes were half closed.

"Any last words Limelight?" he said smugly. He saw her lips move as she mumbled something he couldn't hear. He snorted in satisfaction before leaning in. "What was that?"

"I said…is that all you got?"

Jasper's eyes widened in surprise before Limelight's hair and eyes began to glow. Then she smiled. A proud and confident smile that made his blood boil. He cocked back a fist and swung it with all his strength. But Limelight raised her left hand up and caught it with her palm, stopping it in its tracks. He swung at her with his free hand but she stopped him once again b grabbing his wrist with her other hand. With her strength she squeezed down on his metallic gauntlet, bending the steel inward and casing it to spark. Then she placed a leg against his chest and pushed, sending him flying backwards.

Jasper crashed into the ground hard. He rolled over onto his stomach and leapt to his feet. He glanced back to where Limelight had been only to find her gone.

"Behind you," he heard her voice say from behind him. He swung around and lashed out with his arm, hoping to backhand her. But she ducked before punching him in the stomach. Even with his mech suit he felt the blow and 'oomfed' in pain.

Limelight grabbed him by the shoulder and lifted him up before slamming him back into the ground. Then she delivered a powerful kick to his side. He went flying and spinning through the air before crashing to the ground.

He stood up albeit a little wobbly. He turned around to see her smiling at him smugly. With a snarl he charged her. Limelight charged to meet him. Both of them cocked back a fist and swung forward. Their fist met between them and with a loud screech Limelight's fist dented his. The metal bent and warped around her fist. He yanked back his damaged hand before swinging at her with his left.

Limelight raised and hand up and caught her fist. She squeezed down, crushing the before she stepped forward and thrust her other hand forward, driving her palm into his chest and sending him flying while tearing off the suit's arm.

He was sent back and landed on his back. He tried pushing himself up but was immediately driven into the ground by Limelight pressing down onto his chest with her foot. Limelight raised a hand up before driving her finger through his suits chest piece. Then with a might yank she ripped the front of it off.

Jasper's eyes widened in terror as he was now virtually defenseless. Limelight smiled and grabbed him by the throat before lifting him into the air. His feet dangled above the ground as he grabbed her arm in an attempt to get free.

On the other side of the trailer Horace finally ended his flamethrower assault on Archer. He stopped to see if he'd finished her. He squinted his eyes and tried peering into the flames. Suddenly an arrow flew out from the flames and directly into the nozzle of the flamethrower. He watched as suddenly the nozzle was frozen solid. Then the ice began spreading. With a curse he shook the flamethrower off and backed away from it. He glanced back to the flames to see Archer emerge.

Archer smiled as she drew another arrow. Her cloak had protected her. She was going to have to kiss Fury when she got back to HQ. It had done exactly what he said it would do. Notching her arrow and taking aim she fired. The arrow sailed toward him before landing at his feet. The head exploded and released a foam like substance which began to expand and cover him. He struggled against the stuff as it kept expanding.

When it reached to just below his head it suddenly hardened, effectively trapping him. Limelight walked up to him and smiled as he glared at her.

"Looks like Ah win," she said proudly. Movement above her caught her attention and she looked up to see Limelight descending toward her. She had Jasper over her shoulder and let him fall to the floor when she touched down. He was wrapped in several steel bars. And though he squirmed and struggle he couldn't break free.

"Well that takes care of that," Limelight said smiling.

"Aye," Archer agreed. She was about to continued their interrogation when suddenly a wisp appeared out of nowhere. She furrowed her brow at it as it began whispering away. Warning her of something.

"What's wrong Archer?" Limelight asked eyeing the wisp. She could see it but couldn't make out what it was saying.

Archer shook her head in confusion. "I don't ken. Its saying something about…Fear is coming," she said unsure.

"What's that mean?" Limelight asked unnerved.

"**It means me…**" suddenly came a voice.

Archer and Limelight jumped in surprise before immediately looking around. But they couldn't see anybody. The whole building was empty save for them and the Stabbingtons.

"My, my, my ladies. I must say well done," the voice said again. It sounded like it was coming from all around them. The kept darting their heads back and forth in an attempt to pinpoint the origin.

"You two have become quite bothersome," the voice said again. But this time they both looked up to see a man staring down at them from atop the trailer. It was a tall man with charcoal grey skin and jet black hair. He looked at them both with menacing amber eyes and they both shivered a little.

"Pitch Black Ah presume?" Archer asked curiously.

Pitch remained silent for a moment. But then he flashed them a smile with glittering white teeth. "Correct Archer. And you must be Limelight," he said looking to the other woman. "Your mother has told me so much about you," he said with a sneer.

"That witch is NOT my mother," Limelight snarled as she leapt to the top of the trailer. But as she did Pitch simply backed away and out of sight. When she got to the top he was gone. Her eyes widened in shock before she began looking around for him.

"She has quite the temper doesn't she?" came his voice from behind Archer. She whirled around and attempted to strike him but found no one there. "I take that back. You're the one with the temper," he said mockingly. Archer turned to see him standing a few yards away. Looking quite relaxed and calm.

"What do ye want?" Archer spat at him.

His face became hard and vicious. "Oh me. I'm just here to eliminate the thorns in our side," he said dangerously. A yell above him caused him to look up. Limelight was heading toward him. Her fist high in the air. As she came down he sank into the shadows, letting her smash the spot he had just been standing and opening up a crater.

Limelight growled and cursed as he once again got away from her. He was playing with them. Trying to get in their heads.

"And how will ye do that?" Archer asked inquisitively. "We nae so easily killed."

Suddenly the warehouse was deadly quiet. They looked around and tried to find him. But he was nowhere. It was unnerving.

"**WITH FEAR**" suddenly came his voice. And suddenly both women were surrounded by a black spiraling column of sand. They yelled for each other and attempted to clear the sand. But in a matter of moments it was gone. And they were standing in blackness.

"So what do you fear Archer?" Pitch asked. She narrowed her eyes and turned in a circle to find him.

"Nothing. Ah don't scare easily," she called out.

"Ha ha ha. Aren't you the brave one? But no one is without fear. Fear is a part of being alive. And though you are brave, I can see what you truly fear."

"Quit yer gabbing and fight me," Archer challenged.

"What you fear is that you will forever be alone. That no one will ever love you for you," Pitch said mockingly from the darkness.

"Shut it," Archer replied hotly.

"But that isn't any fun. So let's use this instead."

Archer furrowed her brows in confusion. She didn't know what he meant. She backed up and turned in a slow circle. Trying to escape this darkness. She couldn't; make out anything. And then she bumped into something. It was warm, solid, and large. She whirled around and looked up.

"No. Not you," she said in dread. She looked into the shadowed face of one of her greatest fears. It was a man. One of her greatest enemies. He gazed down at her, making her feel small, helpless, and weak. His black eyes seemed to be looking into her soul. She was about to draw an arrow when suddenly his arm shot out and wrapped around her throat.

Archer gasped and struggled to breathe as she felt her windpipe being crushed. He lifted her off the ground. She kicked and flailed her legs in a desperate attempt to get free. But to no avail. She felt her strength leaving her body.

As her vision began to tunnel her life flashed before her eyes. The good memories, the bad one, all of it. And her last few memories were of Hiccup. She'd begun to feel something really special for him. She just wished they could've been something more. She felt the last bits of her strength leave her and her struggling ceased.

This was the end for her.

Or so she thought.

"AGGHHH!" came Pitch's pained cry.

Suddenly she felt an electrical shock flow through her. And instantly the blackness around her disappeared. Her eyes widened as she was suddenly staring into the face of Limelight, whose hand was wrapped around her throat.

Limelight's face twisted into an expression of horror as she dropped her and leapt back.

"I thought it was Gothel," she said bewildered and horrified.

Archer coughed and gasped for air as she brought her hands to her throat. Movement got her attention as she turned to see Pitch battling someone.

It was Frost.

Pitch had a wicked black scythe in his hand as he attempted to slash at Frost. But Frost nimbly leapt over his attacks before fired blasts of ice at him. Pitch raised a wall of sand to block. He ice and sand impacted and fused together in a wicked protrusion of spiked black ice.

Frost gather the wind and compressed it into a ball. Then he sent it flying at Pitch, hitting him square in the chest and sending him flying out of the window in a pained cry. Frost flew after him.

"Are you ok?" came a familiar computerized voice. Archer glanced to her other side to see Fury looking down at her. She tried to reply but ended up coughing.

"Oh my god Archer," Limelight said in panic as she came over. She knelt down to her level and wrapped her hair around her neck gently. She began pouring her energy into her, healing her bruised throat and helping her breath again.

"You two shouldn't have gone out by yourselves. This is why I have you guys pair up with us," he said angrily. "That way we're not taken by surprise."

Archer looked up at him as her breathing became less ragged. Slowly she was helped to her feet by Limelight.

"Are you ok?" she asked. Guilt and worry evident in her voice.

"Aye. Aam fine," she said giving her a smile.

"You nearly got killed. Limelight would have killed you if we hadn't shown up. And you blew up my bike and the Stabbingtons got away with their shipment," Fury growled.

Archer and Limelight didn't have anything to say in response.

"We're supposed to be a team. You're supposed to trust us. And we're supposed to trust you," he spat at them.

* * *

Atop the warehouse Pitch and Frost were still battling. Pitch was swinging his black scythe while Frost formed ice around his cane into a giant spade and swung back. Their blade smashed and grinded against each other. Then they swung again as they stepped forward, their attacked stopped as their weapons clashed. They glared at each other with snarls on their faces.

"Didn't take you as a team player Pitch. Get tired of losing?" Frost said to mock him.

"Just thought I'd see if the whole strength in numbers saying was true," Pitch growled back. He pushed against Frost as he pushed back. They were both attempting to overpower each other.

"I guess the losers banded together to try and support each other. Must suck to always get stomped into the ground."

"Oh laugh and mock now Frost. You have no idea what's coming. My allies and I will—"

"Blah, blah, blah, evil, evil, evil, yeah, yeah I've heard it all before Pitch," Frost said cutting him off. He quickly stepped back and ducked, letting Pitch's weapon go over his head before he whirled his around and swung it into Pitch's chest.

Pitch was sent flying off the roof of the warehouse. Frost rushed forward and glanced over the edge only to find him gone.

"You best be ready Frost. You won't win this time," Pitch said from the darkness. It was then silent and Frost could tell Pitch had fled.

Frost snorted and narrowed his eyes in determination. "Bring it."

* * *

Back inside the warehouse it was silent as Fury glared disapprovingly at his supposed partners. He'd tracked them here a few hours after they'd left. And he was terrified to see Limelight trying to strangle the life out of Archer. He knew of course it was Pitch using his magic to twist their fears. So he immediately leapt into action, leaving Frost to battle his old foe.

"Hey, everything alright?" Frost asked as he came up beside him.

"Yeah. They're just shaken up a little," he said looking to Limelight who was apologizing endlessly to Archer.

"I imagine. Nearly killing your best friend can do that to you," Frost said evenly.

"And Pitch?" Fury asked.

"Got away. And Drago got his shipment," Frost said unhappily.

"Yeah. But at least we didn't lose them," he said looking specifically at Archer.

Their enemies may have gotten away. They still might not have been any closer to finding them or figuring out what their plan was. But he would take that as a win.

* * *

**New chapter. Hope you like. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Apex Predator**

Back at HQ Rapunzel had shut herself in her room. Archer tried to come in after her to console her. But she didn't want her so close. She looked at her trembling hand in horror. The hand she had nearly used to strangle the life out of her best friend.

When Pitch had used his magic on her she'd found herself back inside the old building Gothel had kept her locked away all those years ago. Then who she thought was Gothel appeared. Cackling and declaring that she would imprison her once more. Use her to remain young and beautiful forever. Limelight wouldn't take that sitting down and fought back.

The images of Archer's bruised neck assaulted her mind. Dark ugly marks she'd left there. If Fury hadn't shown up…

Her attention was snapped to her quarter's door opening. And in walked Frost.

"Are you ok?" he asked in concern.

"Yeah…how did you get in? I told the door to not let anyone in."

"I can override your command. Higher authority," he said casually. She only nodded in understanding as she stared back at her hand. Frost came over to her bed and took a seat on the edge. "You sure you're ok?"

Rapunzel remained silent. Her thought in chaos and disarray. "I nearly killed her," he muttered out miserably.

"It wasn't your fault. That was Pitch twisting your fears," Frost said firmly.

"And I let him," Limelight said sharply. "I let him and I nearly killed someone," she whispered out.

"Hey, look at me," he said grabbing her shoulder and turning her to look into his face. "Don't give in to the fear. This is what he wants. To break you without lifting a finger. Don't make his job easy for him," he said keeping his expression serious and firm.

Rapunzel was little surprised. She'd never seen Frost so serious. He was usually very playful. But his face and voice was stern and strong. And earnest.

She processed his words and gave a small nod. "Frost?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

"How do you fight against his fear?" she asked.

Frost pursed his lips as she tried to explain. "You just got to remember it's not real. You got to push passed it. Don't give in. Have courage," Frost explained. Rapunzel mulled over his words. Trying to think of what exactly he meant. "It helps to drown out that fear with something else," he added.

"Something else?" she asked.

He nodded in confirmation. "A memory. A good memory," he explained. She let the idea circulate in her mind. It didn't sound so hard in principle. But was it that easy?

"Thank you Frost," she said honestly as she looked up into his eyes.

"No need to thank me blondie," he said with a warm smile. But then it changed into a mischievous one she was accustomed to. "But if you really wanted to show your appreciation…well a kiss is always a good way to go," he suggested waggling his eyebrows.

Rapunzel flinched and blushed in surprise. Frost laughed at her reaction. "Just kidd—"

His words were cut off as she brought her lips to his. He was surprised. He certainly hadn't been expecting this to happen. He was just joking. He remained perfectly still as she hesitantly moved her lips against his. But soon he reached his hands around to the back of her head and pulled her closer to deepen the kiss.

Rapunzel didn't know why she actually kissed him. Maybe it was because he'd been so sweet in trying to help her. Maybe it was because she wanted some comfort. But one reason she did know was because she was drawn to him. She always had been, but she just couldn't figure out why.

* * *

Merida was in front of the supercomputer while Fury typed away. He was ignoring her completely. She was trying to apologize. She bit her lip nervously and rubbed her hands together as she tried to find the right words.

"Fury," she began. He didn't respond. Didn't even stop his work. She could tell he was mad at her. "I just wanted to say…I'm sorry."

At that Fury's fingers stopped. He turned in his chair to face her. "Why did you go out alone Ms. Dunbroch?" he asked her.

She stiffened at his question. She didn't want to say that she'd been trying to avoid him. "Ah was just trying to find our enemies," she said with a shrug.

"Then why didn't you tell Frost and I? We're supposed to be a team," he asserted.

"I wasn't thinking ok?" she snapped. She just wanted to apologize. Why was he being so difficult?

"Maybe you should do that from now on," he replied coolly.

"What is your problem!?" she asked in anger.

"My problem is we're supposed to trust each other. We have several big time bad guys here threatening the lives of the people in my city and I'm supposed to count on you," he spat back.

"There ye go. You keep spouting that word. 'Trust'. 'Trust this, trust that'. How am I supposed to trust a man whose face I can't even see?!" she shouted at him.

He stood up from his seat. "This is what this is about? Just because you don't know what I look like?! WHO CARES! We have more important things to worry about than satisfying your curiosity!"

"This is more than my 'curiosity'," she said sourly. "You can order us around because you can reveal our identities at any time. But ye keep Rapunzel and I in the dark. You don't trust us so why should I trust **you**?"

"I've shown you our base. I've given you access to the database and even provided you with my own technology. How is that not enough?"

"It just isn't!" she cried in frustration. Her feelings for him and her anger were mixing and battling inside her mind. Her heart was clenching and warring with itself as images of Hiccup flashed through her mind.

"You nearly died Merida," he said suddenly. She flinched as the words struck her. But it was the way he said it. She could sense the pain in his words. The quiver in is voice.

"And if you had, it would've destroyed Limelight." _And me_, he added in his mind. "So if you can't work with us then go. And you keep Archer out of our way and out of my sight," he commanded icily. Merida's eyes widened in surprise. Fury only turned around and sat back in his chair before swiveling away from her and back toward the screen.

"Your security pass is being revoked. Get out," he said lowly.

Pain lanced through her chest. He was kicking her out and off the team. She'd been coming to see the Cove as a second home. One where she could get away from her troubles and just be Archer. It felt as if she was being rejected by Hiccup again. Someone she had begun to have feeling for was turning his back on her again.

Hot tears welled up in her eyes as she turned away and walked off.

Fury didn't turn around. He simply kept his eyes and focus on his work.

As Merida made her way to the garage she ran into Toothless who came up to her excitedly with his fishy toy in his mouth. He wagged his tail and whined at her, beckoning her to play with him. But she kept her head down and strode right passed him. Toothless' ears drooped in disappointment and he whined sadly.

* * *

The next few days were tense and awkward at the cove. Rapunzel having discovered of Archer's expulsion from the team was outraged. She threatened quitting as well but when she spoke to Merida she was told to stay with the team in case Gothel hurt anymore people. She agreed albeit reluctantly.

Additionally she felt awkward around Frost now. They didn't do much the other night besides kiss but it made her feel guilty. Her and Jack weren't quite official yet but if felt like she'd betrayed him.

At night Fury would stay in the Cove while Frost and Limelight patrolled the streets. His teammates could tell he was shaken up by having to expel Archer. But insisted he was fine.

Merida was in a haze during her works days. Everything around her seemed dreary and miserable. It seemed Hiccup had taken to ignoring her. It was like he did all in his power to remain as far as possible. She guessed he was repulsed by something about her she couldn't fathom. But she persevered through the pain and helped in the preparation for the party their companies were going throw. They'd be inviting a few celebrities and other big company owners who could make it.

The day of the party she had Rapunzel help her with her makeup and dress.

"So what's the plan then Dragon man?" Pitch asked mockingly from their base of operations.

Drago growled at Pitch in annoyance. He'd grown weary of his insults. His patience was beginning to wear thin. "Our leader had returned. He's taken over the plans," he replied gruffly as he sat in his chair and waited for their allies.

Pitch only smirked and snorted. Glad to see he wasn't in power anymore. He hated Drago. The man believed his science was so much superior to his dark arts. He'd been the one to nearly destroy two of their enemies. Not Drago's robots.

The door to their meeting room opened and in walked Gothel. She was carrying two stones in her hands. Pitch and Drago immediately stood and looked at the stones.

"So those are them?" Drago asked curiously.

"Yes. He was successful. Only one remains," she said with a nod.

"So where is he?" Pitch asked raising an eyebrow.

"He said he had a party to attend," Gothel replied shrugging an arm. "But he's left instructions on how to proceed. The sword needs to be found and soon. The time is almost upon us," she said seriously.

Drago and Pitch nodded. They listened intently as Gothel began going over the instructions.

* * *

Hiccup was waiting at the top of the stair while his guests waited below. It was agreed that he and Merida should make an entrance together. His advisors thought it would show a more united front. So he waited anxiously for Merida.

He sighed at how difficult things had become between them. Both as themselves and their alternate identities. But he determined that he couldn't be responsible for her. She was too reckless. Too much of a loose cannon. So he figured expulsion was the best option.

But deep down he knew it was also because he didn't want to lose her.

Not like how he lost Keiko.

"Hello Hiccup. Sorry I'm late," came a familiar voice behind him.

He took a breath and put on his best smile. He turned around to greet his partner. "Not a problem Merrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr—" his brain sputtered as he took her in. Merida was wearing a deep pine green crushed velvet ball gown, with long sleeves and a draped off-shoulder neckline. She had a double-boned wrapped bodice with a simple pleather-belted waist. The skirt flared extravagantly towards the bottom, piling together in wide, pleated folds where it hit the floor. The dark green hem was intricately embroidered with a shimmering motif of Celtic knots.

Her hair had been straightened and was styled into luscious voluminous curls that Hiccup wanted to curl his fingers around. Her eyes had a light layer of eye shadow. A small splash of red just above the eyes followed by a dark smoky blue that drew attention and made her eyes pop. All in all…god damn! Why wasn't he with her again?

"Hiccup?" Merida asked questionably.

Hiccup blinked in surprise as he released he'd been staring dumbly at her. With his mouth hanging open. And looking like a dork. "Oh…its fine Merida," he said rubbing the back of his head. "You look great," he told her.

She smiled gratefully. "Thank you. You look handsome yourself," she said looking at his rush black suit with a dark green tie. _Very handsome,_ she thought to herself.

"Than—thank you," he stammered out. He blushed red and cleared his throat. "So? Shall we? He said extending his arm." She smiled and nodded before linking her arm with his. And together they walked down the stair and into the sight of their guests.

Everyone gasped as they saw them. They looked good. Not only that they looked good together.

"Thank you all for coming," Hiccup said aloud. "I want to say welcome and enjoy yourselves as we celebrate the merging of Haddock Industries and Dunbroch Corp," he said loud enough for everyone to hear.

"And I'd like to propose a toast to a powerful partnership that will last years to come," Merida added.

Everyone smiled and clapped at their words before turning to mingle and catch up with associates and business rivals.

Merida smiled as she walked with Hiccup down the stairs and onto the ballroom floor. They walked to their seats as everyone else also began to take their seats as well. When they got to their table Hiccup pulled out her chair for her. She smiled gratefully before sitting down.

Hiccup sat beside her. And though he tried he couldn't stop staring at her. She was beautiful. She looked like she should be royalty. He never wished he wasn't a super hero more than in his entire life than now.

Merida's faced burned as she noticed Hiccup was staring at her. She watched him out of the corner of her eyes. He was making her nervous. She tried not to show it as she took a sip of her champagne. Thought truth be told she was happy he was looking at her again. It felt like he'd been ignoring her existence.

Eventually Hiccup managed to tear his eyes away from her and focused on his meal before him. So everyone around them dug in as they spoke and talked about events and business deals. Many suggestions or a fundraising event was tossed their way which they agreed to.

Soon enough an hour passed and everyone was finishing their meals. The musicians started playing their songs and soon a man asked Merida to dance. She smiled and accepted, not noticing a very peeved looking Hiccup watch her being led to the dance floor.

So Merida danced with her partner, trying to ignore and forget about the troubles in her life. And while she did she thought of Hiccup. The way he looked at her. She could see the adoration in his eyes. It confused her. Was he still into her or wasn't he.

_Ugh…men! _She thought to herself in exasperation.

Another man asked her to dance after a song ended and she accepted. As she looked around the dance floor she saw Hiccup dancing with another woman as well. Jealousy churned within her as he saw her flash her that stupid grin of his.

He never smiled at her like that anymore.

"May I have the next dance Ms. Dunbroch?" came a deep rumbling voice behind her.

Merida stiffened and went wide eyed at the voice. It was all too familiar. She turned around slowly and was met with a dark nearly seven foot wall of a beast of a man. Her head slowly drifted up as she looked into the feral, predatory smile of her greatest foe. Both as Merida and Archer.

"Mor'du"

* * *

**New chater feel free to review.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Unite**

"Mor'du," Merida breathed out in surprise.

"It's good to see you again Ms. Dunbroch. Now about that dance?" he said flashing her a pointy toothed smile.

Merida's face formed into a scowl before she smoothed her features. Truth be told she was actually quite unnerved. Mor'du scared her. He was a dangerous man. But she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of showing it.

"Sorry Mr. Blackwood, but as you can see I already have a partner," she said gesturing tot the man she was currently dancing with.

Mor'du frowned before shifting his dark eyes to the other man. Just his gaze on him made the man flinch and tremble. "I'm sure he won't mind. Will you laddie?" he said lowly. The man nodded with terrified eyes before shuffling away.

Merida cursed inwardly at the man's cowardice before Mor'du offered her his hand. Reluctantly she took it. As soon as her hand made contact with his he gripped it firmly before pulling her close. He placed an arm on her upper back.

Merida looked up at him as they began to dance. She felt trapped. She looked into his dark brown eyes. Eyes so dark they looked black. Mor'du was a man that looked to be in his late thirties to early forties. He had a long scar over his right eyes and on at the left corner of his mouth. He had a well groomed beard and shoulder length black hair.

Merida had been clashing with him for years. As Merida Dunbroch he was a rival owing Blackwood Technologies, a weapon making company whose shipment always seemed to end up in the wrong hands. If there was an uprising or a terrorist organization sporting advanced technology you could be sure it came from Blackwood Tech. Something that Archer had had to deal with for years.

Plus he was always trying to get his hands into her company. He'd been proposing a merger for years that she had always refused. She couldn't trust him.

And he was very clear in his desire to marry her.

"I must say Ms. Dunbroch, you look absolutely…delectable," he said eyeing her dress and bare skin.

Merida tried to fight the heat rising to her face. This dress suddenly didn't cover quite enough. "Thank you Mr. Blackwood," she replied curtly.

"Oh I must insist," he said giving her hand a squeeze that made her wince. "Call me Mor'du"

Merida shouted a string of cruses in her mind and prayed this damn song would hurry up and end. "You know, I was quite wounded that you chose to form a union with that Haddock boy instead of me," he began.

"Well they are the leaders in technology. It seemed like a better decision," she said matter of factly.

"Yes…but that boy isn't worthy to stand beside you," he said huskily. He stopped dancing and pulled her closer to him. Merida tried to squirm free but he was much stronger. "After all, you're descended from royalty. As am I."

"And what are ye getting at?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

"Only that I'm the only one worthy of you," he said as he moved his hand from her back and gripped her chin with his thumb and forefinger. Merida stiffened. Then he tilted her chin upwards as he began to lean down.

Merida was like a deer caught in head lights. She wanted so badly to move and get away. But she was scared. This man was a monster in every sense of the word. She needed someone to save her.

"Merida," came a voice beside them.

Merida released a breath in relief before turning to see Hiccup standing there. "Hiccup," she said with a beaming smile.

Mor'du scowled at Hiccup with clear disdain and annoyance.

"Sorry to interrupt. I just came to say hello. I don't believe we've met," he said extending a hand to Mor'du. "Henry Harrison Haddock III"

Mor'du was forced to release Merida, which she took advantage of by moving closer to Hiccup. For whatever reason she felt safe beside him.

"Mor'du Blackwood IV," Mor'du replied as he took Hiccup's hand and gave it a shake.

It took everything in his power not to glare up at Mor'du.

So this was Mor'du.

Fury had suspected Mor'du was behind a lot of uprising and terrorists attacks going on in the world. He always found the connection to link back to his company. He'd been trying for years to nail Mor'du to the wall but he was too clever. Anything he got against him was hearsay and whispers. And anyone who would make a good witness always disappeared.

"So Mr. Blackwood, you're the owner of Blackwood Tech.?"

"Correct."

"Very good to meet you. And sorry to say this, I don't mean to be rude, but I don't remember sending you an invitation," Hiccup said evenly.

"Oh. It was probably sent by one of your assistants. Good help is hard to find these days," Mor'du sad casually.

"Hmmm. You're probably right. So Mr. Blackwood, what brings you here tonight?"

"I just came to congratulate you on your merger," he said with a tight smile as he lanced between Hiccup and Merida. "And get a look at the man who stole Ms. Dunbroch from me," he said lowly.

"Well I proudly accept you congratulations. And sorry about stealing her. I couldn't help myself," he said with a shrug.

Merida blushed lightly. Hiccup was sounding awfully possessive. A look at Mor'du revealed his annoyance at Hiccup's snarkiness. Mor'du wasn't used to people he couldn't intimidate with his sheer size and presence.

"By the way I couldn't help but wonder," he said to Mor'du. Mor'du raised an eyebrow and nodded for him to elaborate. "Is there any relation to the Sword of Mor'du that was stolen a while ago and your family?"

"Yes. It used to belong to my family," Mor'du replied.

"Oh really. So why doesn't it now?"

"Sadly throughout the ages we lost all documents and records proving our ownership," Mor'du said with a sigh.

"Good record keepers are hard to find," Hiccup said with a smirk.

Mor'du growled softly. "Indeed," he replied shortly.

"Well I hope you enjoy yourself Mor'du. But if you'll excuse me I need to have a dance with my future business partner," Hiccup said taking Merida's hand and pulling her away. Merida blushed and smiled gratefully. She cast one last glance at Mor'du who scowled after them.

Mor'du watched the runt walk away with his prey. His mouth twitched upward to reveal a pointed canine. The boy reminded him of someone. He rubbed his chest as an old scar began to throb.

Well away from Mor'du Hiccup stopped and turned to pull her to him. She was surprised by his boldness but soon began swaying along with him as he led them in a dance.

"You ok?" he asked in concern. She nodded with a small smile. "It looked like you needed saving," he said shrugging an arm.

"I did. Thank you," she said gratefully. She rested his head against his chest as the song died down and a new one began.

_~Oh this is the night, it's a beautiful night~_

_~And we call it Bella Notte~_

Merida's eyes snapped open. She'd forgotten she'd asked the musicians to play this song. She looked up sheepishly to a confused Hiccup.

"Sorry," she said shyly. "I just…this song…well," she stammered out. Hiccup suddenly pulled her closer.

"It's a nice song," he said evenly. Merida blushed and smiled and soon they were dancing and swaying in time.

_~Look at the skies, they have stars in their eyes~_

_~On this lovely Bella Notte~_

As the song went on Hiccup suddenly became hyper ware of the sensation of Merida's hand in his. It was so small. So soft. And he had an overwhelming urge to kiss her knuckles.

He looked down at her as she looked up. He was trapped by her blue eyes. With her eye shadow they were even more mesmerizing than usual. Almost hypnotic.

_~Side by side with your loved one~_

_~You'll find enchantment here~_

_~The night will weave its magic spell~_

_~When the one you love is near!~_

Slowly his gaze rifted from her eye and down to her lips. Her invitingly pink lips. Lips that he knew were soft as rose petals but could be fierce and wild as fire.

Without his knowledge his face began to inch closer to hers.

Merida's eyes widened as Hiccup began to inch his face closer. She flushed red but shook off her embarrassment. She remembered how nice it was to kiss him. His lips had been rough and yet gentle. She longed to feel them against hers again.

And unbeknownst to her she began to rise on her tip toes to meet him.

_~Oh this is the night, and the heavens are right!~_

_~On this lovely Bella Notte!~_

Merida's eyes were half closed as her lips were a mere few centimeters away from Hiccup's. This was right. This felt good.

But suddenly she nearly fell over as Hiccup pulled away. She looked up him, hurt and confused.

"I'm sorry Merida. That was…unprofessional," Hiccup said hurriedly.

"No Hiccup it's alright. I wanted to," she said quickly.

"We shouldn't do that," he said shaking his head.

"And why not? Hiccup you still have feeling for me," Merida said firmly. Now she knew he did. He'd come close to kissing her. That was proof enough. "I don't understand. Why are you pushing me away?" she asked desperately. If she could just understand.

"It's just…it's too complicated," he said running hand though his hair.

"Is that it? 'It's too complicated'. Since when are we the kind of people who back down from a challenge Hiccup?" she asked in frustration. Hiccup was so much like her. They were both fighters. "What is so complicated? Ah like you and you like me, what more is there?"

Hiccup couldn't think of anything to say. Because deep down she was right. It was that simple. It was all him. He was doing this to them.

He was a coward.

"I'm sorry Merida," he said as he turned and walked away. He pushed passed some of the people as Merida watched him go sadly.

Soon enough more people asked Merida to dance. She politely accepted. Hiccup watched her on the second floor wistfully. He wanted her so badly. But the fear of what could happen to her. It haunted him.

Suddenly an alert got his attention. He pulled out his communicator and activated it. On the screen a news clips showed the Bifrost Bridge, Berk's suspension bridge connecting the different parts of the city, being attacked.

By Drago's bots. He continued to watch and read the news as a new copter cam suddenly zoomed in a figure standing on the bridge. It was Drago.

His communicator rang as Frost called him.

"Hello?" he said answering it.

"You see the news partner?" Frost asked seriously.

"Yeah."

"You coming?"

"Yes," Hiccup said firmly.

"And Archer?"

"I'll get her," he said. With the sheer number of Drago bots and Drago himself they would need everyone. "And bring Toothless. He could use the exercise," he added.

"You got it," Frost said before hanging up.

Hiccup narrowed his eyes in determination. He went to one of his executives and told him he needed to go. The executive didn't question it and nodded. Hiccup quickly left the building and went to his private Limo.

This Limo was unique. Built specifically by him. He hopped in before pressing his hand against the floor. A fingerprint scan scanned his hand before secret compartments on the Limo began building his armor on around him.

Inside Merida had also gotten word of the attack on the bridge with her communicator. Fury hadn't taken it from her so she kept it on her. She excused herself and told one of her executives that she was going.

Then she ran to the stairs before making her way up the building. In a supply closet she stored her suitcase with her costume and gear. She quickly shed her dress and threw it away before suiting up. Then she ran to the top of the building before coming onto the roof.

"Archer," suddenly came a voice. She turned around in surprise to see Fury there.

"Fury? What are you doing here?" she asked in bewilderment.

"I came to get you. The bridge is under attack," he said quickly.

"But the other day—"

"Archer!" he said cutting her off. She shut her mouth and stiffened at the harshness of his tone. "I know what I said. But right now I need your help. So…will you trust me?" he said extending a hand.

Archer eyed it. She thought about everything she knew about him. It wasn't much. But she knew one thing.

He was a hero. And so was she.

"Yes," she said taking a firm hold of his hand. He nodded before grabbing her and deploying his wings. A moment later they shot into the sky and toward the bridge.

* * *

At the Cove Limelight and Frost were preparing to go. Frost put his fingers to his lips and whistled. A few seconds later Toothless padded up to him and cocked his head to the side curiously.

"Hey Toothless. You want to kick some bad guy butt?" he cooed to the wolf dog. Toothless wagged his tail excitedly and barked. "I bet you do. I bet you do," he said petting his head.

"Wait. He's coming with us? Will he be ok?" Limelight asked in concern.

"Oh yeah," Frost said with a nod. "Trust me. Toothless is a monster when he wants to be," looking at the wolf dog with a knowing smile. Toothless barked again and ran to the exit platform. He looked back at them both and barked again, beckoning them to hurry up.

* * *

In a few short moments Fury and Archer were at the bridge. When they arrived they saw it was swarming with Drago bots. They were flying above the bridge and shooting at the cars while citizens fled for their lives. The police were trying their best to defend them.

And all the while Drago watched atop a truck trailer and smiled. But his attention was caught by the approaching Fury, who he saw was carrying Archer. Just as expected. He pressed a button on his robotic arm and directed his bots at Fury and Archer.

Fury and Archer watched as the bots suddenly veered and flew at them.

"Fury, drop me on a tower," Archer shouted. Fury complied. He hovered above a tower before dropping her down. She landed in a crouch before getting up and drawing an arrow. Taking aim she fired, the bot swerved out of the way but the arrow turned and chased after. It collided with it from behind and blew it up.

Immediately she drew and notched another arrow before picking out another target.

While she shot the robots down Fury flew above the bridge. His helmet's sensors locked onto several bots before missiles popped out of the hidden nooks of his armor and fired at them. Thought small his missiles were they were deadly powerful, blowing up eight robots in one shot.

But more came to replace them. Narrowing his eyes he flew right at them. Veering and spinning through them his wings slashed and ripped through their armor.

As he flew by he also locked onto them and fired plasma blasts at them. Reducing them to scraps. One suddenly came at him from the side. He was about to turn and blast it when an arrow flew out of nowhere and blew it up.

He looked down to see Archer, bow poised in the air and smiling at him. He gave her a nod in thanks and turned his attention back to the fight.

Limelight and Frost flew over the open water on their way to the bridge. In Limelight's arms was Toothless, who growled in anxiousness. She was stull curious as to how they thought he would help. He seemed pretty ordinary to her besides the robot leg.

As they got nearer they could see the explosions coming from the robots. And as they got closer they saw their friends fighting against them. Limelight blinked in surprise as she realized Archer was there. She smiled wide. Glad to have her back.

As they got above the bridge Toothless suddenly squirmed out of her grip and went falling through the air.

"No!" she cried in worry. She was about to dive after him when Frost suddenly held up his cane in front of her path and stopped her.

"Just watched," he said with a smirk.

Toothless growled as he closed his eyes. And he reached deep into himself. All the way into his DNA. The DNA that had been spliced with a specimen Drago found in the ice years ago.

Toothless had been an experiment of Drago's years ago before he was rescued by Fury. Drago had been trying to perfect genetic splicing, but hadn't succeeded with Toothless. After his freedom Toothless was dying due to his DNA. His cells weren't receptive of it and were attacking themselves.

But Fury wasn't one to give up. He borrowed the research and replicated the experiment another scientist had done to his own dog. Which had successfully strengthened Toothless' cellular structure and saved his life.

As he was falling his body began to change. His heart sped up as his muscles and bones gained mass and density. His eyes opened to reveal fierce reptilian slits. His fangs, nails, and tail all lengthened while spines started coming up from underneath his skin. His limbs and mechanical leg all grew to support his new larger body.

Archer fired and fired against the incoming Drago bots. She was taking a lot of them down. Bu there were still quite a lot left. Suddenly she heard something land behind her. She whirled around to see a Drago bot towering over her. It quickly batted her aside with a swing of its arm.

She landed on her side with a small cry. She looked to see the robot advancing on her when suddenly a black blur dropped from the sky and crushed it. It still moved, attempting to get up when the creature pinning it down bit down with huge jaws and ripped chunk of its body off. It sparked and spasmned before the creature but down in another spot and then flung it off the tower.

Archer was wide eyed as she took in the black creature. It growled and shifted its toxic green eyes around before settling on her. She flinched as it advanced. It was enormous. Like the size of a bear. But as it got nearer she realized it was familiar.

A whine confirmed her suspicions. "Toothless?" she said in amazement.

The giant mutated wolf dog barked in confirmation. She gaped at him in shock. Suddenly gunfire snapped her from her staring. She turned to see some bots firing at her. But Toothless suddenly moved into the path of their bullets. They bounced harmlessly off his skin as he shielded her.

Then in two yellow flashed they were blown up. Limelight looked up to see Limelight descending.

"Hey partner," she said landing a few feet away.

"Hey there," Archer said back with a smile. Then Limelight shifted her attention to Toothless.

"Oh my god," she said in amazement.

"Guys. Drago bots are landing on the bridge, come on," Frist said above them before he flew downward.

Limelight and Archer exchanged a glance before she put her arm around her. She lifted off the ground and flew her down. Toothless followed behind, leaping off the tower and falling. He landed with a loud crash, cracking the ground beneath him before he looked for something to destroy.

The foursome and dog grouped together as they stared Drago down. He smiled as his bots hovered above and beside him.

"Welcome heroes," he said in a raspy voice.

They all glared at him and steeled themselves for a fight. Drago threw back his dark cape and rolled his shoulders.

"Prepare to die."

* * *

**New chapter. Hope you like. Can anyone guess who that other dog is?**


	14. Chapter 14

**Team**

The team plus Toothless stared down Drago as his bots hovered beside them. Both sides waited for the other to move.

Drago sneered before he pointed his pike at them. Immediately the robots locked onto the group and flew at them, weapons armed and at the ready.

Toothless was the first to react. He leapt passed the team and at the nearest robot. His huge jaw open he bit down into its shoulder armor, ripping through it like fruit and dragging it to the ground. It attempted to get up but he thrashed his head around and tore a chunk of its circuitry out.

The other robots fired at him but he ignored their bullet before flinging the downed robot at another. They collided and went careening into some empty cars before he snarled and leapt at more.

"I got Drago. You guys get the bots and protect the people," Fury orders.

"Right," came a collective reply from the group.

Activating his wings Fury flew at Drago, his wings slashing through robots on his way. Then he rammed into Drago, tacking him off the roof of the truck trailer. Both went tumbling and falling through the air, punching and swinging at each other before they hit the ground. They leapt to their feet and stared each other down.

"Why are you doing this Drago?" Fury said as he advanced on him. He ducked a swing from his pike before delivering a swift punch across the face. Then he punched him in the gut with his left.

"For the same reason as always Fury," Drago spat back as he backhanded Fury with his robotic arm. Fury spun and stumbled back from the blow. Drago advanced and stabbed at him with his pike in his right hand. Fury sidestepped the attack and Dragon swung his robotic fist down at him.

Fry saw Drago's punch coming and raised his hands up. The kinetic energy barrier activated and Drago's fist collided with the barrier. Drago snarled and pulled his arm back as Fury rammed into him and tackled him into a car. Drago attempted to lash out with his pike but Fury wrapped his hands around it and pressed downwards, pinning Drago against the car. Even with his great strength Drago wasn't strong enough to push back.

"You were a good man once Drago. You used your knowledge to help people. You used to give children the ability to walk again and fathers the ability to hold them," Fury reminded him. Drago was an expert in robotics and used to build state of the art prosthetics for people who lost their limbs during war.

"You used to want nothing more than to make the world a better place for your wife and child. Why do this?"

"You wouldn't understand," Drago spat at him. "You don't know what's it's like to lose someone you love," Drago screamed at him.

"Yes I do," Fury shouted back. "I went to a dark place too. I remember the anger and the hatred. But people helped me. They saved me. And I want to save you, you can be that good man again, just stop!" Fury pleaded.

Drago glared up at Fury. He snorted in apathy. "Always the idealist Fury. Trying to appeal to my humanity…but that isn't a weakness I have anymore," Drago said as he closed his eyes. Then with a breath he opened them to reveal red eyes where there should have been white. And instead of brown there was a sphere of blue with a thin menacing reptilian slits.

With a feral and animalistic growl Drago suddenly pushed back. He pushed himself from under Fury before grabbing him with his robotic arm and whirling around to slam him into the car. Then he lifted his pike and stabbed, aiming for his chest. Fury managed to spin out of the way just in time. He looked back at the door to see a melted hole where the tip of the spike had pierced and drilled into the metal.

Fury advanced. He punched Drago across the jaw with his right before swinging with his left. Then he activated a thruster on his leg and kneed Drago in the stomach. As Drago doubled over he blasted him in the chest with both his palms. Drago went flying back into a car, crushing it beneath his bulk. But within moments he recovered, standing up straight and smirking.

"What have you done to yourself Drago?" Fury asked in horror. Drago's remaining arm…it was covered in scales and his fingers had gnarly black talons.

"I have removed my weakness Fury. I am no longer a man. I'm something more," Drago said with horrible conviction. "Unlike that failure of yours I have perfected my research. Perfectly blending my DNA with a creature from ages long since passed."

"I am a god. A dragon god. I am Bewilderbeast."

Fury shook his head sadly. He saw himself in Drago. This is what he could've become. This was why he wanted to help him. "You've become a monster Drago. What would your wife and child say?"

With a snarl Drago pointed his pike at Fury. The energy blaster charged as he prepared to fire. Meanwhile Fury presented his palms toward Drago. At once they fired at each other. Their blasts meeting in the middle and creating a he explosion of light.

Meanwhile the other were battling the robots. Frost and Limelight were in the air firing and downing robots zooming over the bridge. Frost shot ice shard while Limelight used her sun blast and bare hands to down them.

On the ground Archer fired at the robots with her numerous arrow. While Toothless leapt at them, tearing into them and ripping them to shreds.

They seemed to be wining. The citizens were getting to safety slowly as the robots' attention were on the heroes. They weren't being injured and holding their own. But one thing did bother all of them.

Where were Gothel and Pitch?

Fury and Drago continued to battle. Drawn into a close quarters battle both punched at each other relentlessly. Dragon having lost his pike was intent on beating Fury to death with his bare hands. His personal armor and new, stronger body, prevented him from being easily defeated by blows that would down and incapacitate and ordinary person.

Drago threw a left hook at Fury who ducked and uppercutted him in the chin. Drago was knocked off his feet and onto his back as he shook his head to clear the ringing. Before he could get up Fury stepped onto his right shoulder and kneeled down before punching him square in the jaw. Drago simply smiled and spat up blood.

"Do you hear that Fury?" Drago said evenly.

"Hear what?" Fury asked lowly.

"The screams," Drago elaborated. "All that…fear," Drago said with a dark smile. Then his eyes flicked upwards and above the bridge.

Fury leapt back before looking up. His scanners swept the sky before locking onto something and zooming in.

"Damn," he muttered. He could make out Pitch, hovering upon a platform or growing black sand. Looking down upon the bridge with amusement.

"Night Fury to Frost."

* * *

"Hang on," Limelight shouted as she started moving cars that had become stacked upon each other by the robots. She could hear screaming coming from somewhere beneath the pile. She had to help the person.

"Help me please!" came a woman's voice.

"I'm coming ma'am. Just a little bit more," Limelight shouted back. With the last car removed she could make out a young woman in the back seat. She gripped the car door and ripped it off. "Are you ok ma'am?"

The woman looked at her. She was a brunette with brown eyes wide in terror. "Yes. But I think I broke my ankle," the woman said.

"No problem. Just let me take a look," Limelight grabbed the woman before stepping away from the car and setting her on the ground. She willed her hair to lengthen and wrap around the ankle before she began giving her some of her energy.

"Better?" Limelight asked.

"Yes," the woman said.

Limelight nodded before she continued her work. But then she noticed something. It seemed as if too much energy was being absorbed at once. It shouldn't take that much to heal a broken ankle.

"Something wrong little flower?" the woman said in a new voice that was all too familiar.

Limelight narrowed her eyes and leapt back. She narrowed her eyes at the woman smiling up at her with evil intent. "Gothel," she said icily.

The woman stood up. Then her body shimmered before her appearance changed to that of Gothel who wore a red dress and a black hood. "Why the unfriendly greeting darling? Is that anyway to say hi to mummy?" she said pretending to sound wounded.

"YOU AREN'T MY MOTHER!" Limelight shouted as she took as step forward and swung at her. But Gothel simply vanished, or the illusion of her did.

"So ungrateful," came her voice from behind. Limelight snarled before turning around and firing a sun blast. But the blast went straight through Gothel and the illusion evaporated.

"After all I did for you," came her voice again. Limelight turned to find herself surrounded by many Gothel. Of which only one was real. They all held the same neutral expression, like she were reprimanding a naughty child.

Limelight looked at Gothel with disdain and contempt. "I'm surprised to find you working with ruffians Gothel. Didn't you try to warn me about that?" she said as she blasted at a few of the Gothels surrounding her. Unfortunately none of them were real. They just shimmered before regaining shape.

"Well a woman like me needs some men to do the heavy lifting," the Gothels replied back calmly. "And besides, Drago knows how to keep a girl looking and feeling young," they replied with smiles.

"Ewww," Limelight said in disgust. "Aren't you a little old for him?" she asked mockingly as she kept trying to blast her.

"I like my men young darling," Gothel replied. Suddenly all of them waved their hands and from out of nowhere black sand emerged before compressing and forming into a black dagger. Limelight was wide eyed. "Learned a new trick from a friend. Swapped some spells," she explained with an evil smile. Suddenly all of them raised their dagger up before releasing a wordless shout and rushing her.

Thinking quickly Limelight gathered her energies and let it build at her center. Then she released it outward in golden pulse that knocked the Gothels back. But one actually collided with car, denting the hood and crying out in pain. Before she could get up her head was slammed back into the hood. She looked up into a smiling Limelight.

"Gotcha," she said proudly.

Suddenly the bridge shook. Limelight went wide eyed. And looked around.

"Night Fury to Limelight."

* * *

"Night Fury to Frost," came Fury from Frost's earpiece.

"What's up Fury?" Frost asked pausing from the fight.

"I got eyes on Pitch, directly above the bridge," Fury said. Frost looked up and sure enough he could make out Pitch on his black sand. "He'd using the fear form the people. We have to—," Fury was cut off as the bridge suddenly shook and Frost saw a crack form on its surface.

"Fury, I think we got some robots under the bridge. Plus," he paused as she saw some robots firing at the suspension cables. "They're damaging the cables. I'm gonna try and stop them," Frost said as he prepared to shoot the robots.

"Negative. I need you to hold off Pitch. Last thing we need are both his Nightmares and Drago's bots. Think you can do that?" Fury asked.

Frost smiled haughtily. "Of course I can. But what about the bridge?"

"I got it. Hold off Pitch," Fury ordered.

"On it," Frost said. He summoned up the winds before flying straight up. He stopped when he was directly in front of Pitch. "So there you are Pitch. I was looking all over for you," Frost said playfully.

"Oh just gathering the fear and enjoying the view Frost. But now that you're here." Pitch paused to smile evilly. He raised his hands up as he summoned the sand around him. It began to spiral and swirl around him in a great sandstorm.

Frost narrowed his eyes before calling upon the icy winds. It swirled around him in a great tempest as he called forth the power of a blizzard.

"So what do you think Frost? What's more powerful? A sandstorm, or a blizzard?" Pitch asked with menacing amber eyes and a sneer.

"Let's find out," Frost said.

With guttural cries of battle they flew at each other. Their power colliding in midair as they attempted to rip the other out of the sky.

* * *

"Fury to Limelight," came Fury from Limelight's earpiece. Limelight picked up Gothel before tossing her to the floor. She wrapped a lock of hair around her foot before tripping her up.

"I read you Fury," she said as she blasted Gothel in the chest. It sent the woman flying back and hitting the ground. She remained motionless as Limelight ripped the bumper off a car.

"The robots are damaging the bridge and the cables. If it gets any worse the bridge will collapse and people are still on it," Fury replied.

"What should we do then?" she asked as she bent the bumper around Gothel's form, effectively trapping her.

"I need you to hold up the bridge while I make temporary repairs."

"WHAT!" Limelight asked in shock. "Hold up the bridge? I don't think I could do that," Limelight said in rejection.

"You're the strongest of us Limelight. You're the only one that can," he said firmly.

"Yeah…but—."

"You're a lot stronger than you know Limelight. You've only scratched the surface of your power," he said to encourage her.

It worked. "Understood," she replied. She took one last look at Gothel before flying upwards. Then she flew over the side of the bridge until she was beneath it. She saw the robots firing at the braces and pillars underneath. Narrowing her eyes she blasted them, reducing them to scrap.

Taking a closer look she could make out a large crack. And she could see the bridge beginning to sink inwards on it. With a breath she flew at it. She placed both her hands on opposite sides the crack and pushed upward with all her might.

But slowly she felt herself being pushed downward as the weight of the bridge overwhelmed her.

"It's too heavy," she said through gritted teeth.

"Limelight if you don't do this people will die. Now lift," Fury commanded.

Limelight screwed her eyes shut from the effort. But she reached deep within herself, finding the shining source of the sun inside of her and tapped into it. Her hair began to glow a brilliant gold as she slowly began to push the bridge up and back into proper alignment.

"Good job Limelight, now just hold it," Fury said.

"Hurry," she said shakily. She'd never felt this much weight before. This was considerably more than the 200 tons she'd lifted before. But she wouldn't give up. The people and her friends were counting on her.

* * *

Back on top of the bridge Fury and Drago continued to battle. Fury slammed Drago's head into a car door before throwing him backward. Then he raised a gauntlet up and fired a bola at him. It wrapped around Drago's form before it produced a powerful electrical shock, his muscles locked up and fell to his side.

Fury took the sky and flew above the bridge. He scanned the ground until he could see Archer. She was standing atop a car as she kept firing at robots swarming above the bridge.

"Fury to Archer," he said.

"I read you Fury," she replied.

"Keep the robots off the cables. I need to make some makeshift repairs," he told her.

"Copy that Fury," she said affirmatively. With that he flew to the nearest cable and got to work. Using his suit's strength he pulled the cables back together before welding the broken ends to each other. It wasn't going to be a perfect fix but it would at least hold.

On the ground Archer kept close watch on the cable nearest to them. When a robot got to close eh would draw an arrow and fire at it. A robot tried to outflank her. It got close and raised an arm to fire before suddenly massive jaws clamped down on the arm and ripped it off. Then it was tackled into a car, smashing it to bits as the large wolf mauled it to scrap.

"Toothless, here boy," came the voice of Archer. Toothless' ears perked up and he padded over. He stopped before Archer and lolled his tongue out.

"Good boy Toothless. Who's a good boy?" Archer cooed as she petted the massive wolf's head. Toothless barked happily and nosed her hand.

"Now. Down Toothless," she said pointing downward. Toothless obediently obeyed and dropped to the ground and onto his stomach. Archer smiled before climbing onto his back. She held on tightly with her thighs and grabbed a fistful of his fur.

"Alright Toothless. Attack," she commanded as she pointed out a robot. Toothless growled and roared before leaping at it. He collided with it in midair and ripped its head off. With the added height Archer notched an arrow and fired at a robot trying to cut through a cable. Her aim was true as her arrow made contact. It went up in a smoky fiery mess before falling to the ground.

Archer smiled and held on as Toothless landed before leaping at another robot.

With Archer keeping the robots from causing more damage to the cable Fury made quick work of repairing them. With them fixed he flew underneath the bridge to where Limelight was. He could see her sweating and shaking as she supported the massive weight of the bridge.

"Alright Limelight just a little more," he said. He raised his hands up before aiming at the crack. Increasing the power if his plasma blasts he began melting the two halves of the crack back together. When he was complete his scanners calculated the structural integrity of the bridge and deemed it safe.

"Alright Limelight. We're good," he told his teammate. With a sigh she took her hands off the bridge and her shoulder sagged in relief. She rolled them to work out the soreness and smile proudly.

"Frost could use a hand. He's above the bridge battling Pitch," Fury informed her.

Her eyes narrowed in determination. Eager to get back at Pitch. She flew out from under the bridge with Fury right behind her. She looked up to see the icy bolts flying at a wall of black sand. With a growl she flew upwards.

* * *

Above the bridge Frost and Pitch attempted to overpower the other. Pitch threw countless nightmares at Frost that he would blast with icy bolts of magic. He would return fire with ice shards and attempt to blow Pitch out of the sky. But Pitch would summon a wall of black sand to defend.

It was a stalemate. Neither could gain an edge.

"Hey Pitch!" came a shout form above.

Pitch looked up just in time to see Limelight flying at him. She extended her right arm outwards and clotheslined him, sending him spinning madly through the air. Just as he recovered Limelight was above him again. With a snarl on her face she focused her energy into her hands and blasted him in the chest.

With a cry he went flying toward the ground. Before he hit he managed to summon up some sand to cushion his fall. He collided and dented the roof of car before groaning in pain.

Above him Limelight hovered and watched his motionless form. "Nice one blondie," Frost said as he came to hover beside her.

"He deserved it," she said calmly.

Frost chuckled. "Fury. Pitch is down," Frost said as he pressed his earpiece.

"Alright good. Archer and I have Drago and Gothel too. Get Pitch and come down," Fury ordered.

"Got it."

* * *

On the ground the heroes looked down at their capture opponents. Drago, Pitch, and Gothel looked back up at them with angry scowls.

"And…YOU LOSE AGAIN! Eat it," Frost smugly.

"You guys are done. We've won," Fury said firmly. "Now it's off to a prison cell for all of you." Toothless growled beside him in agreement.

"Have we Fury?" Drago said with a smirk.

Fury cocked his head to the side. He wondered why Drago was so smug before an alarm in his helmet alerted him to incoming missiles. He quickly looked out over the edge of the bridge as his scanners picked them up and zoomed in.

"What's wrong Fury?" Archer asked in concern.

"Missiles. Thirty of them," he said grimly.

"What?" Limelight asked in shock.

"Well it's been fun heroes. Let's see you save the day," Pitch said with a sneer. Suddenly him and Gothel began to chant together. Before anyone could stop them they were surrounded by a column of dust and sand that obscured them from view. When it cleared they were gone.

"Fricking magic!" Fury said vehemently. But he shook it off. They would have to wait. The missiles were coming.

"Toothless, follow," Fury commanded. He activated his wings and flew upward to the top of a tower. Toothless obediently followed, he leapt up to a main cable and ran up it until he reach the tower. He stood beside Fury as he watched the missiles approach.

Fury's teammates landed behind him. Ready and waiting.

"What do we do Fury?" Archer asked.

"Cove your ears," he commanded. "Toothless…speak," he told the wolf dog.

Toothless obeyed the command. He stepped forward until he stood at the edge of the tower. Then he planted his feet before sinking his claws into the surface of the stone. He started to constrict his vocal cords, tuning his throat into an echo chamber.

Frost covered his ears, knowing what was coming. Limelight and Archer did the same.

The missiles got closer. Toothless growled, low. Then his growl started to build before he released a powerful bark. It boomed from his throat like thunder, creating a shockwave that smacked the air molecule into each other and at the missiles. They hit the wall of air sent at them and veered of course, many of them just exploded in midair as other went falling into the water.

But a few managed to make it through. At least four of them.

Locking onto one Fury aside a gauntlet. From his wrist a small missile fired and flew at the larger incoming missile. It smashed into the war head and exploded in midair. Taking the missile with it.

Archer drew and arrow. She aimed for a missile and fired. The head detached from the shaft before boosters kicked in. The tiny missile arrow head collided with the missile and took it down.

Limelight flew straight at one. When she got close enough she simply raised her heel and brought it downwards on the missile. Making it fly into the ocean. The last one she flew straight at. She flew over it before drop kicking the rear of it. It pitched upward and made a beeline toward the sky.

When it was at a safe height Limelight blasted it out of the sky. Lighting it up in a fireball.

With that the bridge was safe. They'd done it.

"Yeah!" Frost said pumping his fist.

Limelight flew back to the tower and joined him in celebration.

"High five blondie!" he said excitedly. Limelight giggled before slapping her hand against his. Immediately he yelped and fell to his knees as he blew on his stinging red hand. "Bad idea," he said in pain. Limelight gasped before kneeling down to apologize.

But Fury didn't join in. He stared out in the direction the missiles came from. Archer noticed this and stood beside him.

"We'll get them next time Fury," she said to comfort him.

"That's not it…it was the missiles," he explained.

Archer aside an eyebrow. "What about them?" she asked.

"They were Black Bears. Only made by one company…Blackwood Tech."

* * *

Back at the base everyone was happy. Though the bad guys had escaped they'd saved the bridge and come together as a team.

"Oh Mer I'm so happy you're back on the team," Rapunzel said as she hugged her best friend tightly.

"Well it good to be back," Merida said with a sheepish smile. But then something occurred to her. She looked back at Fury who stood in front of the super computer. "I am back on the team right?" she asked nervously.

Fury chuckled. "Yes Ms. Dunbroch. You are," he said warmly.

She smiled at him. "Aam sorry Fury. For everything," she said in earnest.

"Me too. And thank you."

"For what?"

"For putting your trust in me. For helping me save the bridge and the people on it. Thank you," he said in earnest.

Merida blushed deeply at his thanks and nodded in acceptance.

"And since you were willing to trust me. I'm going to trust you," he said. Merida raised an eyebrow. Fury and Frost exchanged a glance before nodding.

They looked between the pair as Frost pulled back his hood. Then to Rapunzel and Merida's shock he removed his mask.

"Jack?" Rapunzel asked in surprise. He smiled and nodded.

The women's eyes were wide as they glanced back to Fury who began to take off his helmet. When it was fully off they both looked into a familiar pair of green eyes.

"No way," Rapunzel breathed out. She was completely blown away.

"Hiccup?" Merida muttered in disbelief.

The young man smiled sheepishly and blushed. "Hi," he said with a small wave.

Merida slowly came forward. Her mouth was open as she almost couldn't believe it. It was Hiccup. All this time it was Hiccup.

Hiccup watched as confusion and realization flashed across her face. He was about to speak when suddenly it was replaced by anger. He barely had time to register her right hand lashing out before…

_SLAP!_

* * *

**New chapter. Hope you like it. Hope it was exciting.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Revelation**

_SLAP!_

The sound of Merida's hand hitting Hiccup's face echoed off the walls of the cavern. And Hiccup, who was caught off guard by her attack was actually spun by its force. He gripped the edge of the computer desk to stabilize himself before looking back to Merida in bewilderment.

He brought a hand up to his stinging cheek. "Why would you do that?!" he asked in utter indignation. He stood up to confront her when she slapped him on the other side. This time he only stumbled to the side a bit.

"OH GOD!" he screamed in pain.

Off to the side Jack chuckled at the scene. It was hilarious. Until…

"OWWWW!" he screamed as Rapunzel came forward and stabbed her heels into his foot. With her super strength he felt it even through his boots. He yelped and jumped up and down while cradling his injured foot.

"Moons woman, what the hell was that for?!" he shouted out at her.

"You were flirting with me," she said with a glare. He cocked his head to the side in confusion. "You were flirting with me when you were planning to seem me when you didn't know I was me."

He blinked in surprise. Then he furrowed his brows in confusion. "Huh?"

"You were flirting with Limelight when you already asked Rapunzel out," she explained with narrowed eyes.

"Oh…well yeah," he said with a sheepish smile.

Both girls crossed their arms over their chests and glared at the men. They shifted nervously on their feet, unsure of what to do. Then with angry 'hmphs' the women turned their noses up and walked away. To add insult to injury Toothless followed after Merida.

"Toothless?" Hiccup sputtered surprise.

The woman disappeared deeper into the base, leaving the shocked men behind.

"Dude, she took my dog," Hiccup said in shock.

"Yeah…and I think they put us in the dog house…in our own house," Jack said bewildered.

* * *

Inside her quarters Merida sat on her couch with Toothless' giant head in her lap. From what she'd been told by Hiccup he wouldn't be able to change back for a few hours. She absentmindedly stroked the dog's head as she thought back to what she'd just discovered.

Hiccup was Fury. Hiccup had discovered her identity ad blackmailed her. Hiccup had broken up with her. Hiccup had fought her. Hiccup had kicked her off the team. And she'd fallen in love with him twice.

It made her angry. All this turmoil she'd been feeling and it was all over the same man.

"Fury requesting entry. Granted or Deny?" came a computer voice.

Merida scowled angrily at the direction of the door. "Deny," she hissed angrily.

Outside the door Hiccup waited to be let in. "Access denied," came his computer's voice. Hiccup sighed. Looks like she was very angry with him.

"Eve, open this door. Command override H-001," he said aloud. Within a moment the door opened and he stepped in. But when he did an arrow flew straight into the wall on his right. He gulped before seeing Merida sitting on her couch, bow in hand.

He raised his hands up in surrender. "I just came to talk," he said nervously, very much afraid she'd turn him into a pin cushion.

Merida glared at him before removing herself from under Toothless. The wolf dog perked up and watched as she made her way over to Hiccup.

She stopped in front of him and glared up at him. "Alright then, start gabbin," Merida huffed.

Hiccup shifted on his feet awkwardly and rubbed the back of his head. "I just wanted to say sorry for hiding this from you," he stammered out.

"Is this why you broke up with me?" she asked out of the blue.

"Huh?" Hiccup sked as he flinched in surprise.

"Is THIS," she said as she gestured to his armor, "why you broke up with me?"

Hiccup fiddled with his hands nervously. "Well…yeah," he admitted.

"Why?" she demanded icily.

Hiccup gulped nervously. A little afraid to talk as he saw her temper on the rise. "I just thought it would be for the best," he said with a nervous shrug.

"Because it would be too 'complicated'?" she said saying the last word bitterly.

"Uhm…yes?"

Merida narrowed her eyes at him and huffed. "And how would this be too complicated," she said gesturing between the two of them. "The way Ah see it we would nae have to hide anything from each other, there would be no secrets," she argued.

"Well yes, but you and I have enemies as both Hiccup and Merida. Then you throw Fury's and Archer's enemies into the mix and it gets complicated," Hiccup pointed out.

"So what you're saying is…ye were trying to protect me?" she asked lowly.

"Kind of," he admitted. As soon as his word left his mouth Merida reacted. She threw a punch that he barely had time to avoid before she swept his legs out from under him. Before he could get up she placed her foot on his chest and had drawn and notched an arrow.

She aimed it right at his face. His eyes were wide in terror. "Does it look like Ah need anyone to protect me?" she asked dangerously. Almost daring him to argue.

Hiccup sighed. "No."

She lowered her bow and stepped off him. He got up with a frown and looked into her amused face. At least she was smiling again.

"Look Merida. I know you don't need protecting. But," he paused. He took a breath and ran a hand through his hair. "A long time ago I lost someone. As Fury because I couldn't save them. And it was all my fault," he revealed.

Merida's eyes widened in slight surprise. "What happened?"

"It's a long story," he said with sigh.

"Ah have time," she said with a shrug. She looked at him expectantly until he caved.

With a sighed he relented. "Alright. So this was when I'd just broken up with Astrid. It was my second year of college and well…I was pretty bummed. I got kind of depressed and I thought I could use some distance. So I decided to spend a semester abroad," he began.

Merida nodded in understanding.

"I went to Japan. It was supposed to be kind of like a vacation and a study/research trip. I went to San Fransokyo and transferred into San Fransokyo Tech. While there I started developing the early designs for my armors and this," he said pointing to his chest. "This is the plasma core. A perpetual energy battery that powers my suit. And this base," he said gesturing to the lights above them.

"I made some good friends there. Additionally I met someone," he said with a fond smile. "Her name was Keiko. She was a fellow student and we sort of just hit it off," he said with a shrug. "She had also just gotten out of a break up so we kind of understood each other. It was good. We fell in love. Not the forever kind but it was a good, healing kind of love," he explained.

Merida nodded. But didn't quite like the fact that he had found someone.

"But while I was there this really bad criminal started popping up. He threatened the lives of the people and was going on a rampage. He and his terrorist group once took an entire bank hostage. Keiko happened to be in there, and I happened to have finished up my first armor and prototype plasma core. So I helped. And that was the beginning of my career as a super hero. I stopped the guy and his gang and I left. But…Keiko recognized me. I'd shown her my designs so she figured out who I was immediately," he said palming his face.

"She was cool with it though. She thought I was awesome. She actually encouraged me to keep protecting the city. So I did. All the while I would take Keiko flying and on dates as Fury. She loved it," he said smiling. But then his face dropped and became hard. "But I got too careless. The man I'd put away escaped. One of his men happened to see us together while I was Fury and he took her hostage. He was planning something big, really big, something that would take the lives of thousands of people," Hiccup said grimly.

"And he sent me warning. To stay away or else," he said as his looked at the ground. "But I couldn't. Not if people were going to die. I was the only one who could stop him. So piece by piece I took down his plans. But every time…he would," he paused as he swallowed a lump in his throat. "He would send me a message, showing me a piece of her," he finally revealed.

Merida gasped in horror.

"But I couldn't stop. Even though it killed me every time. People would die if I didn't do anything," he said as tears came to his eyes. "Finally I destroyed his plans and managed to track them down. I found Keiko…but I was too late," he said as tears ran down his cheeks. "She never stopped believing in me. She never told them who I was. She died…in my arms," he said miserably. Pain and heartache laced his words.

Merida was shocked. She could see the pain in his eyes at the memory.

"The last thing she said to me was…'Why didn't you save me?'" he said as he wiped away some tears.

"I went to a dark place after that. I killed the man and his men in revenge. And I didn't even care," he said shrugging. "When I came back everyone noticed the change in me. But they all assumed it was because of my break up. Who could I possible tell the truth to?"

"I continued to be a hero in Berk. And while I never killed again I became cold, calculating, and brutal. People were afraid of me. Both the good and the bad. I was drowning in my anger and hatred…until I met my friends," he said looking up. A small smile formed.

"They pulled me from the darkness. I told them what happened and thy saved me. Got me back to this," he said gesturing to himself. "The real me," he explained.

"And this is why you won't let anyone close to you," Merida finished.

"Yeah. If it were just Henry Haddock who'd found somebody then fine. But Fury can't…I just can't," he mumbled shaking his head. He closed his eyes as he let Merida fully absorb his story. But he opened them when he felt a hand on his face. He looked into her eyes. Eyes that held boundless affection for him.

"Hiccup, I'm not her. I'm a hero too. I know the risks," she said softly.

"I know. But what if I have to do that again. What if I have to choose the lives of millions or you?" he asked seriously.

"Then you choose the millions of people. And you do it every time," she said firmly. He opened his mouth to retort when she placed a finger on his lips. "I know the risks Hiccup. And I'll gladly give my life to save the lives of millions. But that doesn't mean I will let that stop me from loving who Ah want," she paused as she wrapped her arms around his head and pulled him down for a kiss.

Hiccup was surprised but he didn't fight it. She deepened it and moaned, earning a groan from him in response. Then she pulled away.

"Ah make my own fate," she said with a smile. "Now come on. We need to gather the team. Ah think it's time I told ye all about the sword," she said as she walked passed him. "Toothless come," she commanded as she paused at the door. The wolf dog obeyed, getting up he padded after her.

Hiccup followed, feeling lighter than he had in days.

"So are you guys back together or what?" came Jack's voice. He turned to see him and Rapunzel standing off to the side with smiles on their faces. Apparently having made up themselves.

He cocked his head to the side. "I'm not entirely sure."

* * *

Inside the lounge area of the base the team gather so Merida could reveal the history of the sword. Rapunzel and Jack sat together. She leaned against him while he had his arm wrapped around him. Hiccup sat by himself with Toothless at his feet. He had his hands clasped together as he patiently waited for Merida to explain.

"Ok, so first off, the history of the sword begins with a story," she began. "Once upon a time there was an ancient kingdom in Scotland, ruled by a fair and honest king," she explained.

"On his deathbed the king divided his kingdom amongst his four sons. With hopes that they would respect each other's rule and work together. But the oldest and most powerful of the sons wanted the entire kingdom for himself. He went to a witch and asked her to grant him the strength to rule all. She obliged. Granting him the strength of ten men. Using that power he defeated and killed his brothers, making him the sole ruler of the land," she continued.

"But that wasn't enough for him. He set out to conquer more lands. And during his travels he came upon a weapon that could help him. The Sword of Mor'du," she elaborated. Then she paused as she closed her eyes. In the next moment a wisp appeared beside her. Frost and Fury gasped in surprise. "This is a wisp. A little spirit I can summon up thanks to my bow," she said lifting her bow up slightly. "The Sword of Mor'du is said to do the same but with darker, evil spirits," she said seriously.

Everyone gulped nervously, knowing the havoc black magic and spirits could reap.

"Anyway, eventually his warpath took him to the real of my ancestor, the Bear King they called him. Mor'du, as the prince came to be known, commanded that he submit to his rule. But my ancestor refused. He and his allies faced Mor'du and his army, intent of driving him away. But Mor'du alone was too powerful. He could take on an entire clan by himself. And his cursed sword made him all the more dangerous and deadly. Things seemed bleak, the war seemed to be lost for the Bear King and his allies," she said pausing to take a breath and clear her throat.

"And then what happened?" Hiccup asked.

Merida turned to look him in the eyes. "A hero," she said. "From across the sea a hero emerged. Said to be carried upon the wings of the offspring of lightning and death itself. He was said to be clad in black armor and wield a sword that blazed with the power of dragon's fire," she explained. "He offered to help the Bear King but he was refused. Luckily, he was stubborn and the Bear King's daughter, the princess, was rebellious. Together they came up with a plan to defeat Mor'du. It's said that Mor'du was about to do something that would completely win him the war. Something that would turn him into a god. But the hero faced him, he challenged him to a battle. Mor'du was hesitant but accepted when the princess offered her hand in marriage should he win."

"And he accepted?" Jack asked incredulously. "I mean if it was a sure fire thing then why risk it?"

"Mor'du was said to be very prideful. And the princess was said to be quite the beauty," Merida said with a shrug. "So they dueled. Normally Mor'du could crush any opponent, even smash their shields apart with one swing of his sword. But the stranger carried a shield that was said to be indestructible. The duel was hard fought on both sides, but eventually the hero was victorious. He dealt Mor'du a fatal wound before taking his sword. Mor'du fled for his life. Never to be seen again."

"So happened to the princess and the hero?" Rapunzel asked curiously. The story was kind of sounding like a love story.

"The legend is a little unclear. Some say he went back home. Others say he died from the wounds from his battle with Mor'du. But the legends always say that he and the princess promised themselves to each other should they meet again in the next life. And before he left he gave the princess the sword to safeguard, should Mor'du ever return," she finished.

"So if it was given to your family, why don't you have it?" Hiccup asked as he raised an eyebrow.

Merida sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Supposedly the princess and her decedents hid it. But I guess a little too well. So well that they forgot where it was. But apparently someone found it. And here we are," she concluded.

"So what does Mor'du Blackwood have to do with this?" Hiccup asked narrowing his eyes.

"He's the descendant of the original Mor'du…how do you know about him Hiccup?" she asked cocking her head to the side.

"I've been trying to nail him to the wall or years. And I have reason to believe he's been funding Drago's research for all these years. But this confirms it. He's working with Drago," Hiccup said seriously.

"Well I say we're winning. They still don't have the sword," Jack said with optimism.

Hiccup smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Agreed," Merida said with a nod. "But I think we need to fill in some missing pieces," she added.

"Like what?" Rapunzel asked.

"I don't ken. Like why Mor'du wants the sword back so suddenly. And urgently. We need answers," she said firmly.

"So where can we get them?" Hiccup asked.

Merida smiled. She looked him in the eyes and walked over to him. He flushed at her gaze. Then she leaned down. He backed away until his head was pressed against the headrest of the couch. But Merida advanced. She cupped his face and pulled him in for a gentle kiss. Then she deepened it, not caring about their friends in the room. She'd been wanting to do that for weeks damn it. She'd be damned if privacy stopped her.

When she was sated she pulled away to see Hiccup with a goofy grin. She giggled. Glad he was looking at her like that once more.

"We need to go to Dunbroch castle. So pack your bags Hiccup. We're going to Scotland."

* * *

**New chapter. Hope everyone likes.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Lemon alert ahead. You have been warned. Enjoy**

* * *

**Found**

Merida was sitting on the bed in Hiccup's quarters after their tem meeting. It had been agreed that she and Hiccup would go to Scotland to see if they could learn more about the sword while Rapunzel and Jack stayed in the city to guard it.

Merida smiled as she watched Hiccup make arrangements with his executives. Merida had done the same and scheduled a flight from her private company jet to take them to Scotland tomorrow. Once Hiccup finished his call he stepped onto a platform on one side of the room and waited. A moment later robotic arms dropped from the ceiling and began removing his armor. When it was done it left him in a green T-shirt and blue jeans.

Merida was happy she and Hiccup were together again. She was glad there was no more hiding from each other. She understood why Hiccup had been trying to push her away, but she wouldn't let him anymore. Because Merida believed she found the person meant for her in him.

"You seem happy," Hiccup said as he walked over to her.

Merida smiled and blushed as she realized she'd been staring at him. "Ah am," she admitted with a shy smile.

Hiccup smiled back. He felt ready to take the next step with Merida. To really be something. Because she was everything he'd ever wanted or looked for. He was glad he didn't have to hide from her anymore. He was glad he could fully be himself.

"I'm glad," he said earnestly.

Merida smiled up at him lovingly. But then her smiled changed. Hiccup noticed this and became slightly nervous. It looked….hungry.

Merida slowly rose from her seat on the bed. She walked passed Hiccup, swaying her hips to give him a nice view. She walked over to her couch. She shed her cloak and removed her utility belt. Then she took off her jacket and Kevlar vest. Then she undid her plait and fluffed up her hair. Lastly she unzipped her pant and pulled them off, leaving herself in a white T-shirt and her underwear.

She turned around to look at Hiccup and saw his eyes wide in bewilderment. Hs mouth was hanging open as he admired her like a goddess.

Hiccup was practically drooling at the sight of Merida's perfect body. His eyes wandered down her curves and toned stomach. His eyes scanned her legs. Her beautifully gorgeous, long legs.

_So much leg…_

"Ahem," came Merida voice. His eyes snapped back up to her face and he saw her smiling in amusement.

With smoldering smile she walked up to him. Then she stopped in front of him and looked up at him with her hands on her hips. "Like what ye see Hiccup?" she asked cocking her head to the side and speaking in a sultry voice.

Hiccup's mouth had gone dry and his tongue swelled up. Shaking his head he took a breath to calm himself. "Well…I…I mean we just got back together. So…maybe we shouldn't rush into anything," he stammered out. He immediately mentally face palmed. He was cocking blocking himself now.

Merida cocked her head to the side and held her smile. "Oh really? Because I was thinking we should pick up where we left off last time," she suggested.

Hiccup swallowed. He opened his mouth to speak when Merida leapt at him and threw her arms around him while wrapping her legs around his waist. Hiccup was so surprised that he lost his balance and fell backwards and onto his bed.

Merida all but assaulted his lips. Greedily and hungrily tasting him. She tangled her fingers in his hair like she'd been wanting to do almost since she'd met him and slipped her tongue right into his mouth.

Now that she finally had him she was going to have all of him.

Hiccup's brain all but ceased to function. His senses all focused on Merida's body flushed against him as her lips moved against his.

_Well I'll be damned…I guess it true what they say about red heads._

* * *

Meanwhile in Rapunzel's quarter's her and Jack had relaxed after the meeting. Rapunzel had initially been angry at Jack for hiding his identity and then teasing her about it. But she overcame it, glad that her conflicted feelings were about the same person. And now that she knew who he was he let her in on the more personal details of his life.

He explained that after getting his powers he'd had amnesia for ears until the guardians helped him get his memories back. Then his promising hockey career brought him to Berk along with the information that he once had a sister.

She and Jack had been orphans in the foster system. But while she had eventually been adopted Jack hadn't. Soon he ran away and struck out on his own leading to his unfortunate demise and rebirth. When he met and shared this detail with Fury later in life he'd used his skills and contacts to track her down.

She'd been informed of his death, so not wanting to shake her world he would occasionally check up on her and see if she was doing alright. Rapunzel offered to go with him the net time he did, curious to see this sister. He'd accepted her offer with a smile.

That's when they both noticed that they had some remnants of Pitch's sand on them. Rapunzel said she was going to take a shower. Jack with his trademark sly grin suggested he should join her. He'd expected her to blush and narrow her eyes at him so he could say he was joking, only to be surprised when she'd accepted his offer. It was Rapunzel who laughed when he sat there slack jawed and in disbelief. But he spurred into action when she began removing her outfit.

And so a few moments later there they were. In the shower together and under the spray of the hot water. Jack normally didn't do heat, even in showers. But he made an exception as Rapunzel's body was pressed against him and his hands wandered down her form, memorizing the landscape of her supple flesh.

Rapunzel shivered at his touch despite the warmness of the water. His hands were cold and made her skin break out in goosebumps. Being with Jack was good. Not necessarily better than being with Eugene. For he had flaws and perks all his own. And while she didn't know if she and Jack would spend the rest of their lives together she was more than willing to see where their relationship would lead. And what would happen would happen.

Slowly Jack trailed his hands up to cup her breasts. Earning a moan from Rapunzel that drove him wild. He liked being with her. He liked her. And it was more than just her looks. For while she was gorgeous she was also kind, sweet, but brave and passionate about doing the right thing. He admired her strength (and kind of feared it too) but gentleness.

He kissed her neck slowly, lapping up the water while biting down gently. Rapunzel in response leaned back against him, letting him bite and leave marks all over her. They would fade anyway, her power prevented her skin from scarring.

Soon Jack let one of his hands slide down and stop in between her legs. She bit her lip anxiously as she awaited his touch at her center. And when she felt the sudden cold she gasped before releasing a moan as his finger traced and explored her.

Soon she was a whimpering a writhing mess as Jack's finger's thrusted and rubbed her most intimate area. She could feel the heat spreading all throughout her body. Then Jack suddenly bent her over gently. She reached her arms out and placed her palms against the shower before looking back and meeting Jack's intense blue eyes, eyes that were fixated on her own grass green. Waiting for the go ahead.

Holding his gaze she gave a nod.

And a moment later he pushed his way inside of her.

Rapunzel gasped at both the sensation of the thrust and the chill of his member inside of her. But then with a moan she rocked her hips back against him, urging him to continue.

Jack obliged. He pulled out before pushing back in, relishing the feeling of her warm and welcoming core. He did it again and continued at a steady pace, slowly losing himself as his breath started to become ragged. He shut his eyes against the pleasure and groaned.

Rapunzel was hanging on and riding out the rhythm of his thrusts. Pushing her hips back to meet him, trying to take him deeper each time. She moaned and breathed out his name, spurring him on and begging him to go faster.

With a growl Jack picked up his pace. Slamming his hips against her as he speared himself inside of her as far as he could, making her cry out. He continued as his world began to blur. Everything became about Rapunzel as he gripped her hips and pulled her against him.

Rapunzel could feel herself tipping over the edge. She could feel the heat beginning to build inside of her with each thrust. She held on as if her life depended on it before with one final thrust she lost it. She cried out as she felt Jack beginning to shudder and find his release.

They both remained still as they came down from their highs. Rapunzel slumped against the wall s she took deep breaths. Jack leaned onto his shoulder to eh side as his head began to clear. Soon they were well enough to stand up. They looked at each other and smiled before stepping forward to kiss each other.

Now maybe they'd actually take shower.

* * *

While Jack and Rapunzel enjoyed their shower their clothing was left abandoned on the floor. But suddenly a lump formed in the pile. The lump began to move. Moving beneath the mass of clothes in search of an opening. One was found and out popped a small black rat. Its amber eyes looked around to ensure the coast was clear before making its way to the door of the bathroom.

Its body temporarily became sand as it passed under the door. Soon it saw the other one and it was out of the room. Normally Pitch's sand went inert after sustaining sufficient damage. But with a little help from Gothel and a spark of an evil entity provided by their leader he managed to leave some on the heroes that could become active after a short length of time.

So the little rat made its way throughout the base, drawn to the dark magic it could sense. It took turns down tunnels and hallways until it came to a large metal door. It looked too fortified and some kind of powerful protection magic could be sensed. So the rat's whiskers twitched as it deemed its mission complete. It was about to begin searching for a way out of the compound and back to its master when a low growl from behind caught its attention.

The rat turned around and was met with the furious snarl of a giant wolf. Black as night and with reptilian eyes it could sense the wrongness about the rat invading its home. It bared its glistening white teeth as it eyed it.

The rat remained motionless. But its body began to tense as it prepared to run.

* * *

Hiccup was being pinned down by Merida as she started kissing her way down his chest. His shirt had been all but torn off by the passionate red head who wanted nothing more than to explore every inch of his body. And he was totally ok with that.

Every kiss, bite, and lick made him whimper and squirm but he remained as still as he could as her wandering mouth sent his senses into overdrive.

Soon Merida made her way back up to his face, straddling his hips before kissing him deeply. She pulled back to look into his eyes.

"Hiccup?" she suddenly said inquisitively. Hiccup looked at her and raised an eyebrow. She looked nervous. And a little shy. "You do nae mind my approach…do ye?" she asked nervously. She wondered if maybe she was being too forward. It had always been her way. But maybe Rapunzel had been right. She bit her lip nervously as she waited for his answer.

"Heck no. It's one of the things I like most about you," Hiccup said with his trademark crooked grin. Merida beamed before claiming his lips once again. She slipped her tongue inside his mouth and moaned in pleasure. Hiccup groaned in response, feeling lightheaded and drunk.

Then he felt Merida grab his hand before she placed his palm on top of her shirt, right over her breast. She pressed down on it and squeezed, getting the idea he gently cupped her breast, earning a contented and happy sigh. Merida closed her eyes as she began rocking and grinding against Hiccup. Letting his hands explore as he brought his other hand around to trace her legs with his fingertips.

The hand on her chest began to make its way down until it reached the hem of her shirt. Slowly he slipped it underneath and began rubbing it over her stomach while making a path upward.

_Finally…so close…so close…nothing will stop me now,_ Hiccup thought excitedly.

Suddenly the door to his room slid open, startling them both who turned to see Toothless barreling in. The wolf looked to be hot on the heels of something as it kept its head low to the ground and snapped and snarled at whatever it was chasing.

Hiccup's confused screams of protest went unheard as Toothless attempted to catch the elusive enemy. His huge body crashed into furniture as he chased it. It went under the couch at one point and he tried to go after it, flipping the couch over in the process. The he spied it scurrying under the covers of his master's bed. So he leapt onto the bed with a snarl and tried to kill the lump.

"Toothless what are you doing?!" Hiccup shouted in confusion.

"Toothless stop!" Merida shouted in agreement.

But Toothless ignored them. He had to kill this thing. He could feel it was trouble. Soon it made its way to the egged of the bed and leapt to the floor. Toothless was on its heels. Then they were out in the hallways again. Toothless' jaws just a few centimeters away. He snapped and snapped at it but it kept leaping just out of reach.

He was so intent on killing it that he didn't watch where he was going. Soon his slammed face first into a low vent. The rat slipped inside. It looked at him with beady amber eyes and squeaked tauntingly. With a growl Toothless barked at it and bit the vent grate off. But the rat scurried away. Escaping the mad wolf dog who was too large to pursue and barked after it.

Soon the rat followed the maze of vents until it reach the surface. It was still night outside and it found itself in a large building. It ran to a wall before finding a small crack to squeeze out. Then it ran, and ran, and ran, until it found its way into the city. It went into a dark alley and sat there.

Soon a figure stepped out of the shadows. It stood before the rat before leaning down and presenting its palm. The rat leapt onto it as its master smiled with glistening white teeth.

"Excellent work my pet," he said with a menacing smile.

He looked into the distance. Everything had gone as planned.

"Found you."

* * *

**Dun dun dun! Couple fluff. Hiccup cockblocked again. Hope you like. **


	17. Chapter 17

**lemon alert.**

* * *

**Together**

Hiccup was in a sour mood the next morning. After Toothless went crazy last night the mood between him and Merida was all but gone. So Hiccup went to bed cursing every divine entity he could think of for once again stopping him from having sex.

When he and Merida got up they quickly got packed and headed to Merida's condo to grab her some luggage and clothes before driving to the airport to catch their flight. So they waited in the car while the plane was being checked for last minute flaw and troubles, both he and Merida were very prominent individuals after all. And while they waited Hiccup spoke to Jack on his communicator.

"Alright so we should be back in two days more or less," Hiccup reminded Jack.

"Got it," Jack said with a nod as he and Hiccup spoke live via their communicators.

"Make sure to keep Toothless out of trouble. And you can take the cone off in an hour or two. I think he's learned his lesson," he added.

"Roger that," Jack said.

"Oh, and don't active the self-destruct sequence to the base," he said seriously.

Jack rolled his eyes and scoffed. "That happened one time," he said indignantly.

"Yeah hold on, Rapunzel, you there?" Hiccup said speaking louder. Some rustling in the background was heard before Rapunzel appeared over Jack's shoulder.

"Right here Hiccup," she said with a smile.

"Make sure Jack doesn't do anything stupid," he told her.

Rapunzel giggled at Jack's expense. "I won't," she said with a nod.

"Punz!" Jack said in offense.

"Hiccup, it's time to go," Merida said. He looked to her and nodded before looking back to his friends and saying goodbye. With that he followed Merida with his luggage as they were ushered aboard the plane.

Once they stowed their belonging away they took a seat across from each other and waited. In another 20 minutes the pilot gave them the signal to buckle up before he started the engine and got it moving. Soon they were in the air, and approximately 7-8 hours away from their destination.

* * *

Back at the base Toothless whined sadly as he wore the cone of shame. After he failed to kill the rat last night he'd been yelled at by Hiccup and punished. Hiccup had locked him out of his room all night, and not even Merida had come to open the door for him.

He wish he could have told his master that the rat was bad. That he was trying to kill it to protect them. But it was no use. So Toothless determined he would protect their home while his master was away. He'd be on guard for any intrusion.

And should something try to invade he'd tear it apart.

But for now he as content to lay on his master's bed and hope he'd return soon.

* * *

During their flight Hiccup and Merida played a game of chess. They were both very good. Bu Hiccup was slightly better, having two wins over her. It frustrated Merida slightly, she hated losing at anything, but she didn't mind so much since it was Hiccup.

"So you really live in a castle?" Hiccup said as she studied the board.

Merida snorted and chuckled. "No you idiot. We live in mansion. The castle is a few miles up the road and we own it. Been in the family for generations," she explained. "We only use it for clan gatherings and when we host the highland games."

"Oh. So how do you know we can find answers there?" he asked as he moved his rook.

"I used to explore the castle when I was a lass. I found an old library. And in it were books on magic and Mor'du," she replied. She moved her bishop, preparing to take his rook.

"I see. Well seems like a good a plan as any," Hiccup said with a shrug. Hiccup noticed what she was doing and took her bishop with his knight. Merida growled in irritation and moved a pawn.

"By the way Hiccup," Merida began as she looked up from the board. Hiccup looked up at her. "We're going to have to see my parents while we're there," she revealed.

Icy terror filled Hiccup's veins as his face paled. "You're telling me this now?"

"Yes," Merida said with a smirk. "Because you can't get away at a few hundred thousand feet in the sky," she said with an evil smile.

"You clever shrew," Hiccup said narrowing his eyes at her. "You planned this from the beginning didn't you?" he accused.

"Guilty. My mum is always saying I should bring a man home, so I thought, two birds one stone," she said casually.

"You evil mastermind," he said with a sigh. Merida giggled and wrinkled her nose at him. "Checkmate by the way," he added. Merida's eyes dropped back to the board to see her king surrounded. She frowned, she'd distracted herself.

"Ah am done with chess," she said with a sigh.

"Well we still have an hour or two before we land. What do you want to do?" Hiccup asked her. Merida looked up at him and smiled. Then she shoved the tray and chess board in front of them out of the way before leaping at Hiccup. Straddling his legs she beagn to fervently kiss him. Hiccup was surprised but didn't protest.

Merida smiled against his lips and reclined his seat back.

This was much more fun than chess anyway.

* * *

Hiccup's stomach began to churn on the way to Merida's family home. He was nervous. He'd heard stories from his dad about Fergus Dunbroch. Said to be quite the man. A hunter and actually able to take a punch from his father.

He tried to distract himself by watching the lush green scenery of the country side as Merida drove them there, but nervousness anxiety kept rearing up within him.

"I'm not dressed enough for this," he said miserably.

Merida sighed rolled her eyes. "You look fine Hiccup."

"I meant I'm not wearing my armor," he said dryly. Merida chuckled. The rest of the drive passed in silence as Merida drove them through small towns before up the final roadway leading to her parents' home.

When the front gates to her home were in sight Hiccup sat up and stared wide eyed. It was impressive. It looked like a castle. Made of stone, two stories tall, and with numerous windows on the wall it was a lovely home. It was surrounded by lush green foliage and stone walls. Merida drove up the gate before punching in a code on the key pad. The gate lurched before sliding to the side to permit them entrance.

Merida drove in and pulled up into a gravel circle drive at the front of the building. She stopped the engine an unbuckled herself right as the front door opened. And out came a large man with hair as red and wild as Merida's. He beamed and bellowed in laughter as he laid eyes on her. Merida smiled and ran to meet him.

When she was close he reached out and scooped her up was if she were a child before swinging her around. Merida laughed in childish amusement at her father's antics. But hugged him back when he set her down.

"Oh Merida love, it's good to see you," he said to her with a bright smile.

"It's good to see you to da," she said back. Footsteps grabbed her attention as she remembered her guest. She looked over her shoulder to see Hiccup standing there awkwardly, unsure of what to do. Merida smiled at him before pulling away.

"Oh and da, I brought someone for you to meet," she said. Fergus raised an eyebrow as he finally noticed Hiccup. Merida dashed over to him and grabbed his hand before pulling him forward. "Da, this is Henry Harrison Haddock III. Our future business partner, and," Merida paused and blushed. A shy smile formed on her face as she tucked some hair behind her ear. "The lad in my life," she revealed.

Hiccup flushed and rubbed the back of his head bashfully. "It's good to meet you Mr. Dunbroch," he said extending his hand.

Fergus' face was neutral as he looked him up and down. "So yer Stoick's lad then?" he asked as he raised an eyebrow.

Hiccup chuckled nervously. "Yeah that's me. Not much resemblance I know," he said with a slight shrug.

Fergus remained still until he burst out in laughter. "Oh I'm just funning ya lad," he said as he took Hiccup's hand and gave it a firm shake. "It's wonderful to meet ye. Now come on, Elinor will want to get a look at ye," he said before turning and leading them inside.

Merida squeezed Hiccup hand reassuringly before pulling him along. Hiccup gulped. Well it seemed as if Fergus approved of him. He really hoped Elinor would too.

* * *

Hiccup was impressed as he walked through the home of Merida's parents. Huge with stone walls and lot of taxidermy animals. Wolves, deer, and even a few bears. No doubt from Fergus' hunting excursions. Besides those there were old Scottish style sword and shields adorned on the walls.

"Well if it isn't Merida," came a feminine voice. Hiccup looked ahead to see a buxom old woman in a plain yellow dress walking towards them with a smile.

"Maudie. It's good to see ye," Merida said happily as she gave her old nanny a hug.

"It's good to see you too lassie," she said back in earnest. Then her gaze shifted to Hiccup. He raised an eyebrow and looked him up and down. "So who's this then?"

"Maudie, this is Henry Harrison Haddock III. Or Hiccup. He's my boyfriend, "Merida said with pride. Hiccup noticed this and smiled.

"Kind of a string bean ain't he? Looks like a strong wind would knock the poor lad over," Maudie said unimpressed.

Hiccup had grown used to comments like that. But damn, talk about rude.

"But at least he's tall," Maudie said with a shrug.

"Oh leave the lad alone Maudie. He hasn't spent 10 years being fattened up by your cooking," Fergus said good heartedly. Maudie just huffed and walked away to clean something. "Don't mind her lad. She's just surprised. We can't remember the last time Merida brought a lad home."

Hiccup nodded in understanding. Fergus smiled before turning to continue leading them through the mansion. He sighed and was about to follow when suddenly Merida grabbed both sides of his face and yanked him down for a kiss.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and stuck her tongue in his mouth. She rubbed it against him before wrapping it around his and pulling it into her own mouth. Hiccup was stiff, a little uncomfortable about doing this with Fergus so near. He really didn't want to end up with his head on a plaque.

Merida pulled away and smiled when she was finished. "Don't mind Maudie. I like ye just as ye are," she whispered to him. He smiled back gratefully as she took his hand in hers and pulled him along. They were led upstairs before Fergus led through a hallways.

Hey passed an open door where the sound of video games could be heard. Fergus paused at the door and opened it. Hiccup peeked inside to see three young boys playing video games. All three looked to be in their early teens and were identical with the same red hair and Fergus and her father. Hiccup assumed these were her younger brothers she'd mentioned.

"Oy. Boys, your sister is here," Fergus informed them.

The boys paused the game before turning to wave at Merida. Then they turned their attention back to their game, apparently believing that was a good enough hello. With a sigh Fergus shook his head and led them to another room down the hall. He opened the door and inside there was a tall woman sitting down as she sewed a tapestry.

"Elinor love, Merida is here," Fergus said to her. The woman turned around and looked at them. Her eyes stopped on Merida and a warm smile formed on her face. Hiccup took her in. He could see where Merida got her looks. While her hair came from her father her facial feature resembled her mother's.

Elinor Dunbroch was quite tall. But Hiccup was few inches taller. She had long black hair tied into two long braids that had a grey streak in one. She was quite beautiful in Hiccup's opinion. In her shimmering green summer dress she reminded him of a queen. Elegant and poised she crossed the room to embrace Merida.

"Good to see you mah dear," she said in earnest.

"Good to see ye too mum," Merida said back. Elinor smiled as she looked her daughter over. Then she noticed Hiccup. She released her daughter and turned to face them.

"Hello there. I'm Elinor Dunbroch. And who might you be?" she asked politely.

Hiccup blanched for a second before he shook his head to focus. Clearing his throat he extended a hand toward her. "Hello ma'am. I'm Henry Harrison Haddock III," he said politely. Elinor smiled and shook his hand.

"Stoick's boy huh? Well it's nice to meet you lad," she said warmly. "And how goes the merger if ye don't mind me asking?" she added as she looked to Merida and Hiccup.

"It's going fine mum. A few things to work out but everything look good. This merger is going to change the world," Merida said with passion. Elinor chuckled at her daughter's enthusiasm.

"And why exactly have you come with my daughter Henry?" Elinor asked curiously. Hiccup opened his mouth to speak when Merida piped in.

"Ah brought him mum. Hiccup and I are together," she revealed to her mother. Elinor's eyes wined for a fraction of a second before she smoothed her features. "How lovely," she said evenly. "Well 'm glad you both arrived when ye did. Because Fergus had invited a few of his friends over," Elinor revealed.

Merida's stomach dropped to her feet and her smile faltered. Her father's friends meant three things. And their names were Dingwall, Macnitosh, and McGuffin.

"Oh no."

* * *

Hours later the Dunbroch dining room table was filled with people. There was Fergus at the head of the table, Elinor to his right. Merida was at his left with Hiccup beside her. Beside him were the triplets who were playing their hand held games. And across the table were Fergus' friend and their sons. Who happened to be giving Hiccup very scrutinizing looks.

Merida sighed and rolled her eyes. Their families had been friends for generations. And the patriarchs had always been eager to see their sons marry Merida. Merida had dated McGuffin's son, Doric, when hey were younger, but that was the closest she was ever going to get to any of them.

"By the way da," Merida said pausing from eating her turnkey to look at her father. Fergus looked up at her and met her eyes. "I was thinking of showing Hiccup he castle tomorrow, would that be ok?" she asked politely.

Fergus shrugged. "Sure lass I don't see why not?"

"Thank ye da," Merida said with a smile.

"So Hiccup, how is Valerie?" Elinor asked.

Hiccup looked up in surprise at hearing her mention his mother by first name. "She's good. I didn't know you knew my mom," he said curiously.

"Oh yes. Val and I went to university together. We were good friends. Even won tennis tournaments together. Lost touch after though. Saw each other occasionally through business conventions," she replied.

"Huh? Didn't know that. I can give you her number if you'd like," Hiccup offered. He had known his mother studied aboard while in college. He had no idea she knew Merida's mother.

"That would be lovely," Elinor said gratefully.

"And how is Stoick?" Fergus asked.

"He's good sir," hiccup said with a smile.

"Ah that's good. Good man that one. Why I remember one time after a business convention me and him came to blows over who knows what," he said with a fond smile.

"Oh really?"

"Yep. Gave me a bloody nose and I gave him a black eye. But then we settled our differences over a pint," Fergus said laughing. "Who would've thought we'd become partners aye?"

Hiccup chuckled.

The rest of the dinner passed in relative silence. Hiccup still kept getting dirty looks from Fergus' friends but felt at ease when Merida grasped his hand in hers, letting him know she was beside him. He smiled at her gratefully. When everyone had finished their meals the maid staff came to clean and pick up the plates.

Elinor beckoned for Merida to join her in the kitchen. Merida raised an eyebrow but complied. She gave hiccup a kiss on the cheek before following after her mother. This left Hiccup all alone and at the mercy of the men.

"So, Hiccup, I don't suppose you're any good with a sword are ye?" the elder Macintosh asked with a smile.

Hiccup gulped nervously. He felt like a Viking in a room full of Scots.

* * *

In the kitchen Merida and her mother were preparing some ice tea for their guests. However, her mother's silence informed her she wanted to talk to her about something. With a sigh she decide to ask.

"Something you wanted to talk to me about mum?"

Elinor looked up from what she was doing to look her in the eyes. "Merida, are you sure it's wise to mix business with pleasure?" her mother asked raising an eyebrow.

Merida rolled her eyes. "Hiccup is a good man mum. And I'm not foolish. I've made sure the terms of our merger are fair for both our companies," Merida explained.

It seemed to put Elinor at ease as she relaxed. "So you like him then?"

Merida blushed and smiled shyly. "Aye mum. Ah really do," she said softly.

Elinor smiled and chuckled. "Well Ah can tell. Ah can't remember the last time you brought a man home to meet us," she joked playfully.

"Well, Hiccup is special. And Ah hope to be bringing him around more often," Merida said honestly.

"Well Ah think that'd be lovely. Now let's get back in their before your father's friends run him through," her mother suggested jokingly. With that they both picked up a tray of drinks and walked back to the dining room. But then they got there they found it empty. They were confused until they heard the faint sound of metal clanging against metal.

"Oh no they're really trying to kill him," Merida said as she paled with worry. She quickly ran to the next room for fear that one of her father's friends was trying to behead her boyfriend. She paused as she took in the situation before her.

In the wide room Hiccup was sword fighting with Ian Macintosh. And winning. She could now see the swords were dull practice swords so they weren't meant for killing anyway. She watched as Hiccup skillfully parried and countered Ian's stabs and slashes. She was quite impressed. He obviously knew what he was doing.

As she continued to watch him spar she felt her cheeks heat up. He had a confident smile on his face as she seemed to be enjoying the match. Then when Ian thrust his sword forward for a stab Hiccup dodged by spinning around him and out of sight. Before Ian could turn Hiccup had his sword at his neck. With that Fergus laughed and declared it Hiccup's victory. Everyone, even her father's friends, all clapped and laughed, impressed by Hiccup's swordsmanship.

Merida stood off the side as she fanned herself with her free hand.

"He was quite impressive wasn't he?" Elinor said as she came to stand beside her. Merida' flushed red as her mother smirked knowingly. Soon she ushered Merida forward with the tray of drinks. Hiccup and the other noticed them before coming forward to take a glass.

"Thank you milady," Hiccup said gratefully as he took a glass and began to chug it down. Merida blushed as she watched him drink it.

"Good show lad," Fergus said impressed at his side.

"Oh aye, a grand match," Ian said in agreement. The other all agreed. Hiccup nodded in appreciation.

"Thanks. My dad and mom had me take lessons. Guess they stuck," he said with a shrug.

"By the way lad I couldn't help but notice you walk a little strange," Fergus pointed out.

Hiccup flushed a little. "Oh yeah," he paused to pull up his pant leg enough so his robotic leg could be seen. "No one really notices it anymore."

"Well I can tell from experience," Fergus explained as he lifted up his own prosthetic. "How did you lose your if ya don't mind my asking?"

"Just a car accident. Nothing special," Hiccup replied.

"And who made that for ye?" Fergus inquired curiously.

"Oh I made it myself," Hiccup said proudly. Everyone was impressed as they murmured amongst themselves. Merida only smiled happily, glad they all seemed impressed by Hiccup.

The rest of the night was small talk as they learned more about Hiccup. Hiccup in turn learned that the Macintosh's owned a communications company, the Dingwalls owned a ship and plane building company, while the McGuffins owned a pharmaceuticals company. Hiccup was impressed and learned as much as he could before they left. And then with pleasant goodbyes he and Merida left, but not before promising to visit them again.

Merida smiled, the promise an indicator that Hiccup expected to be with her for some time. With that Merida drove them to a nearby town to stay at an inn. Hiccup had asked why they didn't stay with her parents since they offered. Merida only smiled and said she didn't want to make too much noise.

Hiccup blushed deeply as he let Merida lead them to their room. When they got inside Merida put a do not disturb sign on the door knob before turning to give Hiccup a hungry smile.

There would be no more interruptions. No more waiting.

* * *

"I don't see why we don't attack them now," Pitch snarled as he spoke to Mor'du and Drago via live video feed. "We know where they are and where the sword is, let's just go and take it."

"Don't be a fool Pitch," Drago growled out beside Mor'du. "Fury surely has security inside his base. It would be idiotic to just go in without a plan."

Pitch opened his mouth to argue when Mor'du cut in. "Aye, Drago is right Pitch. Just have patience. Besides, we need to find the last stone before we get the sword. And Archer will lead us right to it," Mor'du said with a dark smile.

"In the mean time I have an idea on how to infiltrate the base," Gothel piped in. Everyone turned to her and raised an eyebrow. Gothel was probably the most cunning of all of them. "So, here's what I think we should do," she began. The others listened intently as she relayed them her plan.

The heroes had no idea what was coming.

* * *

_Finally…finally…by every god in existence finally_, Hiccup thought to himself. Inside their hotel room Hiccup and Merida were doing what they'd both been wanting to do for the longest time. And it was glorious.

Merida was on top as she liked to be as she grinded her hips down onto Hiccup. The lamp on their night stand was the only light in the room. It illuminated her form as she closed her eyes and rocked back and forth. As she had hoped Hiccup's hands were indeed clever as they traveled up and down her form. Teasing and playing with her breasts, tracing his fingertips over her stomach, making her shiver, shudder, and moan with desire.

She had also been delighted to discover that Hiccup was pleasantly large. He filled her up so nicely, reaching deep inside and hitting a place she hadn't know was there until now. He looked down at Hiccup and smiled to herself.

Hiccup didn't just seem to fill her physically. But he completed her. His passion and fired matched her own, but he could temper her hot headed nature with his tactful mind and calm reasoning. He was a man willing to give so much to others without asking for much in return. And it made her love him all the more.

And as she watched him, with his head thrown back and mouth open as he relished being inside of her, she thought herself the luckiest woman alive to have found him. Leaning down she licked at the shifting muscles in his neck, earning groans that made her urgent grinding increase.

"Oh god," Hiccup groaned out huskily as her quickened pace threatened to send him over the edge. But just then he seemed to be at the peak she slowed. It was almost tortuous. He honestly had no idea how he'd lasted so long. Not having had sex in five years made everything more sensitive. And Merida was so tight, so warm, so inviting that he was on the verge of tear from how good she felt.

He wanted to reach his end, but at the same time never stop. He wanted her to go faster, but at the same time take it slow. It was maddening. His brain was threatening to explode. He opened his eyes just a crack so he could gaze up at her form.

She was beautiful. Her face flushed red as she panted as she moved her hips back and forth. Her hair, everywhere, alive and so red that it looked like fire. She glistened with a thin sheen of sweat. She was like a goddess in his eyes.

Merida slowed her pace to just feel him. She kissed and sucked at his neck, tasting him and earning a moan that made her desire for him grow. She wanted him lose himself inside of her. She had to see it.

"Hiccup…please…look at me," she pleaded softly. She rose up and leaned over him, her hair falling around and cascading around her. He opened his eyes and she gazed into his green orbs. Eyes that held limitless intelligence and love. Placing her hands onto his chest for support she slowly started to increase her pace.

Hiccup hissed and growled as Merida started speeding up. But one look into her blue eyes told him that this was it. He moved his hands down from her chest, he ran them down along her spine, making her shiver and twitch before fairly gripping her hips. Then with a grunt he began to pull her down against him while bucking up to meet her, matching her demanding and needy rhythm.

Merida cried out as she felt Hiccup's hips thrusting upward to meet her. Her hips began to move as if on their own as she felt the growing warmth pooling in her stomach.

"Oh god! Hiccup! Oh god!" Merida started to lose herself as her rhythm faltered and became random and wild, all roiling desire and want as she desperately tried to find release. She felt Hiccup twitch and throb inside of her before with one final thrust she snapped.

She cried out as her wall clenched around Hiccup and she found her release. And with a few more thrusts Hiccup followed after her, throwing his head back with a loud groan as he held her hips down against him tightly. She rode out the waves of his orgasm as she came down from her own high. When they were both done their breathing was ragged before Merida rolled off him to snuggle against him. Hiccup reached down and pulled a blanket up to over them.

"Was…that…good?" Merida asked between pants. She already knew the answer but she wanted to hear him say it.

"Definitely worth the wait," Hiccup said with a nod as he stared up at the ceiling. He felt light headed and amazing at the same time.

"You were amazing," Merida said with a smile.

Hiccup smiled, his ego soaring. He kissed her on her head and took a whiff of her. She smelled nice. "You were amazing," was all he could think to say before he wrapped an arm around her.

With that they settled down, enjoying each other's company and looking forward to what their relationship could bring. And after 20 minutes Merida was feeling frisky.

She craned her head up to look him in the eyes. "Let's go again," she said with a smile.

"Uhm…not sure I can," Hiccup said embarrassed. He was feeling pretty exhausted. Abut Merida wouldn't have that as she straddled his hips. "Merida really, I mean the spirit is willing, but the flesh is tender and squishy," Hiccup said to try and reason with her.

Merida only looked at him with a wolfish grin. "Aww, wee lamb. Let me kiss it and make it all better," she purred out as she began sliding downward before she disappeared under the blankets. Her hair created a slight bump before it began bobbing up and down.

_If I die tonight…I would go a happy man._

* * *

**Merricup fluff. Hiccup finally gets laid. Had to do it. Poor guy. And he met the folks. Oh and somethings a brewing. Hope you like. **


	18. Chapter 18

**It Begins**

"And what are you smiling at?" Merida asked as she drove herself and Hiccup up the road and towards Dunbroch castle.

Hiccup's mouth had been frozen in a happy smile all morning. He couldn't help it. "Nothing," he said with a goofy grin. It was just great to have a sex life again. And to just be with someone without having to hide anything.

Merida snorted and rolled her eyes. She had a pretty good idea what had him in such a chipper mood. She was equally happy to be with him. She smiled to herself as they drove through a forest road before the castle came into sight.

"Whoa," Hiccup said impressed as the castle came into view. It was huge, with great stone walls, sitting resting on a cliff and towering over the land. Merida stopped at the closed gates before she reached into her purse and pulled out some kind of remote. She pushed a button on it and the gate screeched before opening for them.

"Automated. Special security," she explained. There were normally guards as well, but her father had dismissed them since she was coming. They didn't want them getting too curious about why they were really here.

As they drove through the gate and into the castle grounds Hiccup looked around impressed. He could see the grounds set up with old style huts and houses resembling an old time village. Merida explained that local shop owners from neighboring towns would come and use them to sell their selections during the highland games. He listened in fascination. Soon they pulled up to the large door of the castle.

Merida shut off the car and led him to the front. She pushed the large door open and it gave with a loud creak. Inside it was mildly dusty from not being occupied. Merida told Hiccup to wait by the door before she waked to another room. Soon lights came on. Merida came back and explained she turned on the generator and that the castle had been outfitted with electric lighting for convenience.

Then Merida ushered them both through the castle, taking turn and twits through its halls before she led them to a large room with bookshelves. Hiccup assumed this was the library until Merida walked to a shelf, she put her finger into a crack and gave it a slight push, then with click and a lurch the shelf moved to the side revealing a hidden door.

Opened it and pushed it open before she gestured for Hiccup to follow after her. Hiccup complied, walking down the dusty stairway as they descended. Merida explained that this was the hidden library that not too many people knew about. Only her family and her. It was here that she learned the true story of Mor'du and his sword. At the bottom of the stair Merida pushed open another door to reveal a dimly lit room with numerous shelves of books and scrolls.

"Well this is it," Merida said casually.

"How do we even know where to start?" Hiccup asked as he looked at all the books. Merida didn't answer as numerous wisps suddenly appeared. Hiccup gasped in surprise before they began floating around the room, sopping to bob and point at several scroll and books.

"There it would seem. How your ancient Gaelic?" Merida asked jokingly.

"Might be a little rusty," Hiccup said with sarcasm. "But that's why I got this," he said as he held up on of his two briefcases. Merida raised an eyebrow as she looked at it. Hiccup walked passed her before he set on down on the table and one on the floor. Then she snapped it open. From inside the case numerous arms and claws and what looked like a scanner came out.

"This little baby will skim through every page of the books we need to go through. Then it will be sent to the supercomputer for translating. It will be a lot faster than trying to translate all of them," he explained. Merida beamed in happiness, glad she wouldn't have to read all the books and scrolls.

"Hiccup have I ever told ye how sexy your brain is?" Merida with a smile.

Hiccup blushed and smiled at her. Merida then looked down at the other briefcase. It was lime green with a symbol of a dragon on it. "So what's that one do?" she asked curiously.

"It's for emergencies," he said casually. Merida didn't question it as she went and picked out a scroll. Unfurling it she began to scan its contents. Even with Hiccup's machine they would probably be there for hours.

So with a sigh she sat down and began making out what she could.

* * *

Across the Pacific Ocean, a few miles outside of Berk was the town of Burgess. In it was a young woman in her late teens. She walked around the town park with her friends and enjoyed the beautiful day. And all the while she was being watched from the air.

"So that's her?" Limelight asked Frost as she hovered beside him.

Frost kept his gaze trained on her while she sat down on a park bench. "Yeah. That's her," he said softly. With everything looking quiet in Berk, Frost had decided to go check up on his sister. He did this occasionally, watching her from afar. He just wanted to make sure she was ok. He couldn't help it. He was her big brother.

"She looks like you," Limelight said as she looked her over. She had long brown hair like Jack's when he wasn't in disguise. "Why don't you say hello or something?" she asked.

"I don't know. Fear I guess. She thinks I'm dead. Probably better to leave it at that," he said shrugging. Limelight watched him, she could see the turmoil in his eyes. The desire to interact with her but not shake up her world.

She decided to do something about it. With a smile she descended, Frost watched her go wide eyed, wondering what she was up to. Soon she touched down in the middle of the park and waited.

And sure enough, "Oh my god! Is that Limelight?" someone shouted in surprise. She smiled as she was rushed by children and other townspeople, all staring at her I wonder. Even Jack's sister joined them.

She chuckled to herself before letting her hair glow a little. A gasp went through the crowd as they were now sure it was her.

"AWESOME!"

"Hey, how strong are you?"

"What are you doing here?"

"You're so pretty."

A torrent of questions and comments came her way. She looked up and with sigh Jack descended as well.

"Hey look, it's Frost!" came another shout. More people rushed forward, dividing their attention between the two heroes. Jack smiled and was a little nervous as his sister came up to look at him. He hadn't seen her so up close in such a long time. He was slightly afraid he would be recognized.

"Well Frost here just thought maybe you would all like a little snow day, wouldn't you Frost?" Limelight asked with a smile. All the kids look back at Frost hopefully. He contemplated refusing, but one hopeful look from his sister made him cave.

With a smile he raised his staff up before calling forth the icy winds. Soon snowflakes began sprinkling down from the sky. The children all shouted and cheered enthusiastically. Even the adults broke into smiles. Frost smiled as well, especially as he saw his sister catch a snowflake on her tongue.

But suddenly he was hit with snowball to the face. He sputtered and wiped it off to see Limelight smiling at him playfully.

"SNOWBALL FIGHT! BOYS AGAINST GIRLS!" she shouted. The children cheered before the girls began running to her side. They quickly began scooping up snowballs as the boys ran to Frost's. Soon snowballs were flying between the two warring sides. Frost whipped up an ice wall and began shouting orders like a military commander while Limelight just threw gigantic snowball at them.

Frost looked around to eel his sister also joining in. He smiled. He was having snowball fight with her. He couldn't remember the last time he'd done that with her. After the snowball fight was over Frost froe the small lake, making it thick and safe enough for skating on. The children began running to their houses to grab their skates.

Diana, Jack's sister, was about to do the same when he stepped in front of her.

"Need some skates?" he asked playfully. She was about to answer when with a wave of his hand he made some out of ice for her at her feet. She beamed excitedly before she nearly fell over on the ice. Jack caught her and began pulling her along. Teaching her to skate.

He watched as she nearly fell over a few time but laughed as she got the hang of it. He looked over to Limelight and smiled at her. She smiled back. This was good enough for Jack. Being able to interact with Diana.

Even if he couldn't be in her life at least he could watch over her and make her happy.

* * *

After a few hours of going over the old scrolls and books Merida noticed the repeated mention of some kind of stone. And it apparently had some kind of relation to the standing stones she knew of nearby.

"Hmm," she said thoughtfully.

"Find something Mer?" Hiccup asked.

"Yes. There some kind of stone repeatedly being mentioned. From what I can make out it has some kind of connecting to the standing stones," she informed him.

"The what?" Hiccup asked.

"There are some stones nearby. Sort of like Stonehenge. They're said to contain some kind of powerful magic. And then there's some kind of 'lodestone', or something or other that can be used to complete some kind of ritual," she said chewing the inside of her cheek.

"That sound ominous," Hiccup noted.

"Aye. The druids who wrote these scrolls said it has something to do with the dark spirits as well. And that the Sword or Mor'du is somehow involved."

"So where is this stone?"

Merida only shrugged. She was about to reply when a wisp suddenly appeared. She looked at it as it began whispering and bobbing up and down excitedly. She raised an eyebrow and stood up to follow it as it began to float away from her. Hiccup watched as she followed it to a wall. Then it began to circle around an old torch on the wall.

Merida was confused before she reach a hand up and grabbed it. Pulling down she found it to be a lever. Pulling it all the way she heard a click before a small square brick in the wall suddenly shifted. Then it slid to the right to reveal a small nitch. Looking inside she saw something covered with a cloth. She reached in a removed it before she unwrapped the cloth.

In her hand was white shining stone. All over it were Gaelic symbols. It reminded her of the moon with its whiteness.

"I'm guessing that's the stone then?" hiccup asked as he came to stand beside her.

"Aye," she said with a nod.

They continued to stare at it. The wisp circled her hand. Confirming that this was indeed the stone she'd been wondering about.

"It's getting late. Probably dark out. How about we head back. I've scanned all the books and scrolls anyway. When the computer is done we'll get the full story," he offered.

Merida nodded in agreement before she led them out of the room. As they walked out of the castle she eyes the stone in her hand. She wondered what exactly this ritual was. But she considered them lucky. They had both the sword and this stone. Their enemies wouldn't win.

Merida began driving them down the road from the castle as she contemplated what all this meant. Hiccup was also deep in thought as he tried to piece things together. He was contemplating calling Jack and punch to update them on the situation when suddenly Merida hit the brakes hard.

"Whoa, what's up Mer?" Hiccup asked in concern. Merida looked straight ahead. He followed her gaze and his face paled. Standing up the road was Drago.

He had an evil smile on his face before he lifted up his pike and pointed the spiked end at them.

"Reverse!" Hiccup shouted. Merida threw the car into reverse before s=pressing down on the gas. Immediately the car flew backwards as Drago blasted a hole into the ground. He advanced as they kept backing up. Narrowly dodging a blast that could put a hole in the car.

When they reached the castle they unbuckled before Merida quickly grabbed her suitcase with her gear from the backseat. They leapt from the car right as it exploded from a well-placed blast from Drago. Unfortunately they couldn't get clear of the explosion in time and were sent flying by its force. So hard that Hiccup was knocked unconscious.

Merida gasped and cried out to him in worry before checking on him. He seemed fine expect for a bump on his head. Gritting her teeth she grabbed him and lifted him up. Luckily he wasn't too heavy. She made her way into the castle and into safety.

Meanwhile Drago came up to inspect the wreckage of the car. He growled when he saw no bodies.

"Easy there lad," Mor'du said as he came up beside him. "We'll get them yet. The princess is a clever one. But I have a pretty good idea of what she's planning," he said with a dark smile.

Drago smiled, relishing the thought of being able to finally finish off Fury.

"The hunt is on," Mor'du growled.

* * *

It was nighttime in Berk when the heroes returned from Burgess. They came back home smiling before they got in a quick nap. Then later that night Jack went to the supercomputer to call up Hiccup. He furrowed his brows when he didn't answer.

"Weird," he said aloud.

"What is?" Rapunzel asked at his side.

"Hiccup isn't answering. He always answers," Jack said cocking his head to the side.

Rapunzel snorted and rolled her eyes. "It's like two in the morning over their Jack. I'm sure they're asleep," he said dismissively.

Jack couldn't help but feel a slight uneasiness. But with a shrug concluded she was probably right. Then he noticed data being sent to the computer. He saw it was translating some old Gaelic symbols. He began reading through them curiously.

"I'm going to go on patrol," Rapunzel said putting on her mask.

"All right here I come," Jack said.

"It's ok, I can handle this," Rapunzel said.

"Are you sure. What if you run into Pitch again?" he asked in concern.

"I'll call if I do," she said with nod. Jack mulled it over before nodding in acceptance. With that Rapunzel made her way to the exit platform before she made her way to the surface. Jack watched her leave before turning his attention back to the computer. He was about to start reading when he gave up, opting to go watch some TV instead.

"Eve, inform me when the translation is complete," he said aloud before walking to the lounging area.

* * *

Above the streets of Berk Limelight watched the people go about their business while keeping a look out for any crimes. She flew above the streets at a casual and relaxed pace, sweeping them over. It seemed pretty calm tonight. She wondered where their enemies were.

She honestly still wanted to punch Pitch in the face for nearly having her kill Merida. But she pushed it to the back of her mind a she focused. She then smiled to herself as she thought about their team. She never would have imagined she would be a part of a superhero team.

She loved working with them all. It made her wonder what was going to happen after this was all over. Would they simply go their separate ways forever? Unlikely since the entire team was in relationships. She hoped they would continue working together. She felt stronger with them than without them.

But her thoughts were interrupted as a shiver ran down her spine. She recognized it as her body responding to the presence of dark magic. Narrowing her eyes she began glancing around to locate the source.

And then she saw him.

Down in an alley, standing there with a smug ad amused grin was Pitch. He stared up at her, relaxed and with his hands behind his back. His eyes invited a challenge.

Clenching her fists she flew towards him. But when she drew near he simply stepped back and into the shadows before disappearing. She cursed in frustration, but then she saw him peaking around a corner at her. Hovering off the ground she pursued.

And so she chased Pitch throughout the city. He would always disappear before repapering on a building or around a corner. She could tell he was leading her somewhere, and she was determined to find out where.

After at least ten minute of following him she flew into a construction site. It was an empty plot of land where a new building was going to be built. All around there were building supplies such as stacks of bricks, trucks, and a crane with a platform of girders.

Limelight stood out in the open, waiting for Pitch to show himself. Her blood was boiling and she let he power surge through her.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the little flower," came Pitch's voice from behind. Limelight narrowed her eyes before turning around to see Pitch staring at her with a wicked smirk.

Limelight raised a finger to her ear to call Frost when Pitch spoke up. "Oh yes, that's right little flower. Call Frost. He's the one I want to kill the most anyway," he taunted. Limelight stopped. She gave Pitch a death glare. He'd gone way too far.

And though she knew he was probably baiting her, she didn't care. She was going to beat him. She let her hands hang at her side as she rolled her shoulders and took a breath to ready herself.

Then Pitch raised his hands up, immediately she was surrounded by a column of black sand. When it cleared she was in the old tower Gothel kept her locked away. She glanced around. Everything was exactly the same. Gloomy, dusty, dank, and devoid of life. But she knew better than to give in this time.

"This isn't real," she said aloud. Then channeling her energy into her fist she punched the ground. The illusion crumbled away. She glanced around, more determined than ever to fight.

"GET OUT HERE PITCH!"

* * *

Atop a building overlooking the construction site Pitch watched Limelight look for him. He was only slightly surprised to find his power of fear didn't work on her anymore. But the illusion had served it purpose. It had distracted her enough to allow him to get something off her person.

"Take them," he said holding out the item to his partner. Gothel stepped forward to take it. She looked down at Limelight and smirked.

"Keep her busy. As long as you can," she told him. He nodded. Stepping into the shadows he disappeared.

Gothel smiled to herself. Everything was going as planned. Limelight was the most dangerous out of all the team. Her power levels made her strong enough to fight Gothel and her allies singlehandedly. So Pitch would buy her as much time as she needed.

Stepping away she began to make her way toward the heroes' base.

* * *

"PICTH!" Limelight shouted angrily.

"Right here flower," Pitch said behind her. Limelight turned around with a snarl. He smiled before snapping his fingers. Immediately he was suddenly surrounded by nightmares. All sets of amber eyes were upon Limelight. Ready to tear her apart.

But she wasn't afraid. She was just angry. She was ready to fight.

Pitch stood there as his nightmares surged passed him and at her.

Hovering off the ground Limelight gathered her energy into her hands and flew at them.

* * *

Back at the base Frost went to the supercomputer. Eve had informed him of the translations being finished. So he decided to skim over them. Toothless sat beside him as he looked up at the screen. Then suddenly he heard the entrance platform become active.

He glanced over his shoulder to see Limelight entering.

"Back so soon?" he asked inquisitively.

Limelight just shrugged. "There wasn't much going on. And no sign of the Mor'du or his allies," she explained.

Frost nodded in acceptance. The suddenly by his side Toothless growled. He looked down to see him staring intently at Limelight. He growled lowly at her.

"Toothless, what's wrong bud?" Frost asked curiously. Toothless just kept growling.

"Oh I rescued a cat out of a tree. He probably smells that," Limelight said dismissively. "I got to use the restroom. I'll be back," she said walking down the hall. Frost just shrugged and turned back to the computer.

But Toothless watched her walk away before padding after her. Something wasn't right. It was her smell. She didn't smell like the normal Rapunzel. He wanted to attack her the moment he smelt her. But he didn't want to be wrong and hurt his master's friend. He followed her as she made her way through the halls. He followed her intently before she walked into a storage room. The door closed for a second before opening. He stepped in to find her looking at him.

"Smart doggie aren't you?" she said in a different voice.

Her voice confirmed his suspicious. This wasn't Rapunzel. Growling low his eyes began reptilian slits. She just stood there and smirked. Toothless didn't hesitate. With a snarl he leapt at her, intent on ripping the intruder apart. But when he made contact he suddenly passed through her.

He smacked into the shelf behind her form painfully. He whined in confusion before his ears perked up. He looked back to the door to see her standing there, an evil smile on her face. Growling low he prepared to lunge again when the door suddenly closed. He threw himself at it. Trying to break it down.

He snarled and barked angrily, but the door wouldn't open.

Outside Limelight stabbed the console with wicked black dagger. The panel sparked and malfunctioned violently and locked the door. She smiled to herself. So far so good. This should buy them some time.

Her plan was working perfectly.

Now all she had to do was deal with Frost. She had to get him to show her where the sword was and how to get to it. While also disabling the security. That shouldn't be too hard. He was a man after all.

And what man wouldn't succumb to a pretty face.

* * *

**New chapter. Uh oh. Its going down. **


	19. Chapter 19

**The Attack**

The empty construction site was lit up by flashes of gold as Limelight battled against Pitch's nightmares. With her strength and sun blasts she destroyed countless nightmares while slowly making her way toward Pitch. Pitch watched, his fingers twitching with anticipation the blond heroine drew nearer.

Finally after punching one last nightmare to pieces she got within swinging distance. Her eyes narrowed in determination she threw herself at Pitch, coking back her fist to deliver a powerful blow. But Pitch saw it coming. He formed his black sand into a scythe before lashing out at her. To dodge Limelight threw herself to the ground, narrowly avoiding a slash to the neck. The scythe passed over her head, slicing a few of hr. golden lock off.

She ignored the falling strands as she continued to dodge mad slashes by Pitch. Pitch snarled as he attempted to hack her to bits. But she was quick and agile. Limelight quietly thanked Frost for her hand to hand training he'd helped her with. Suddenly Pitch changed the scythe into a spear before thrusting it at her. Limelight spun out of the way and prepared to counter attack.

Reaching behind her she grabbed a few strands of her hair in her right hand before throwing it around Pitch's hand like whip. Before he could overcome his surprise she willed her hair to tighten its grip before she swung him over her head and slammed him to the ground. Before he could recover she yanked him close. On his knees in front of her he looked up nervously to see her angry expression. Clenching her fist she delivered a powerful uppercut that sent him flying straight into the air.

As he was airborne and his limbs flailed about frantically she willed her hair to lengthen and ensnare him. Wrapping about his middle it pulled him to the ground before she flung him into a nearby bulldozer.

Pitch hit the side of the machine hard and cried out in pain. He rubbed and shook his head to clear the ringing before sparing a glance at his opponent. Then he yelped in surprise before throwing himself to the right, narrowly missing her fist as she rammed it through the side of the bulldozer, punching straight through its metal surface. Rolling away he leapt to his feet and backed away as she pulled her fist free and began stomping toward him.

Pitch had to admit, she was strong. More powerful than any opponent he'd ever faced. Even Frost. He backed away as she advanced, but glancing upward he saw her walking under a platform of girders. Conjuring up a black spear he hurled it at the chain, severing it and sending the platform crashing down on top of her.

Limelight didn't have time to dodge as the girders fell on top of her.

Pitch kept his gaze trained on the various girders obscuring Limelight's form. He took deep breaths to steady himself before he rose to full height. He dusted his coat off, thinking he'd beaten her. But then golden light started to shine from underneath the girders.

With a shout Limelight stood up and threw her arms out, sending the girders flying off and away from her in an instant. She turned to glare at Pitch. Letting him know that she was far from done. Pitch responded by summoning more nightmares. He sent them at her in waves, trying to overwhelm her.

Limelight advanced, but not before grabbing a girder. Gripping it in both hands she swung it back and forth, obliterating the advancing nightmares with every swing. Then she started spinning while advancing, destroying any nightmare she came within swinging distance of.

When there were no more she flung the girder at Pitch. Pitch raised a wall of sand and hardened it. The girder clanged against it and fell to the ground. But before he could do anything else Limelight punched her fist through the wall and grabbed him by the front of his coat. He yelped in surprise as she began pulling him forward, repeatedly slamming his face into his own wall.

He was forced to lower it. When he did he was met with the very angry face and golden, glowing eyes of the heroine. He squirmed and kicked at her but she ignored his attempts to get free.

Slowly Limelight raised him up higher with her left hand. Then she balled up her right hand into a tight fist. Locking eyes with Pitch she glared dangerously at him. Pitch gulped as he guessed what was coming. Dropping him, she swung her right fist forward with all her might. Pitch barely had time to raise a small sand shield up so he wouldn't take the full brunt of the blow he was sent flying hundreds of feet away. He sailed through the air, finally stopping when he crashed into billboard.

Groaning in pain he peaked an eye open only to see a blond flash before he was rammed through the billboard and tackled onto the building behind it.

Grabbing him by the coat Limelight began spinning in a full circle before she flung him off the roof. Pitch shouted as he sailed through the air. But then he summoned up a wall of sand to halt his flight. Turning the wall into a platform he knelt down and rubbed his throbbing head. He was sore all over from her attacks. He didn't know how much more he could take.

He glanced at the direction he came from and gave a wordless shout of terror as Limelight flew at him. Facing the opposite direction he got his platform moving as he fled. He narrowly avoided being blasted by the angry blonde as he made his way towards the water.

* * *

Inside the cove Frost showed Limelight where the sword was. She had asked him and he thought it was an appropriate time to tell her. He took her down the maze of tunnels before stopping at the large metal door that was the safe. It was where he and Fury kept the more dangerous things they kept after defeating a villain.

He explained that for now only him and Fury could get in. Limelight pouted playfully at hearing she didn't have access. He just chuckled and told her she'd get access when Fury got back. Limelight seemed to accept that before she asked about how to control the security inside the base. He raised an eyebrow inquisitively at her sudden curiosity. She explained that since they were a team she might need to know how to activate or deactivate it one day.

It made sense so with a shrug he led her to the supercomputer. When they got there he started going over the explanation on how the security worked and showed her the way to activate and deactivate it. Limelight watched and listened intently as he explained, asking the occasional question from time to time.

"So that's it then," Frost said finishing his explanation.

"Wow, that's pretty simple," Limelight said thoughtfully.

"Yep. Easy as pie."

Limelight smiled before facing him. She looked into his eyes and took a step forward. "Thank you darling," she said in a sultry voice. Frost raised an eyebrow at what she called him. She'd never called him darling.

He was about to ask her about it when she pulled him down for a kiss. Frost was surprised but waved it off before he returned it. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. Everything seemed normal at first.

Then he started to notice something strange. He could feel the strength leaving his body. He kept getting weaker and weaker as he became light headed. He tried pulling away from Limelight but she kept a firm grip on him. Keeping him close as the feeling kept coming.

Frost knew something was definitely wrong then.

* * *

Over the ocean overlooking Berk Limelight pursued Pitch relentlessly. The dark magic user kept fleeing, staying just ahead of her while occasionally sending nightmares to slow her down. But she ripped and blasted through them in her pursuit. Pitch glanced over his shoulder to see her gaining on him. Her hair and eyes a fierce golden glow as she flew at him in a rage.

With a growl Limelight tapped into more of her power. Her hair flashed before she put on a burst of speed. She shot passed Pitch in a yellow streak before whirling around to face him. Pitch was so surprised that he couldn't stop in time. Raising a fist up Limelight swung it downward with all her might. Pitch made a small handheld shield of compressed sand to block, but even with it he was sent flying into the water.

He hit it with a loud splash before disappearing beneath its surface. Limelight stared at where he had gone under and waited to see if he would reemerge. When he didn't she narrowed her eyes and circled the spot, hovering a little lower to see if she could find him.

Then suddenly she saw something black underneath the water. Bubbles started rising to the surface as something huge was rising from the depths.

Then in a great spray a monstrous black whale appeared. Huge, the size of a ship. It gave a horrific call before its gaping mouth opened to swallow her whole.

Limelight didn't have time to move before she was engulfed.

The whale called out in victory as it moved it jaws. It floated in the air as it attempted to finish its opponent.

But suddenly its amber eyes widened as it felt energy building up from within itself. Its body began to expand and swell as a stream of light burst through, then another, and another. Before light started coming out of its entire body.

Then all at once a golden burst of light ripped the thing apart, sending it body flying outward in all direction as the sand fell into the ocean, inert and useless.

Above the water where the whale had once been Limelight hovered, breathing heavily but with a triumphant smile. She glanced around in search of her opponent, but she concluded he'd fled.

"That's right you better run. I'm the one you should fear Pitch!" she shouted out. She then started flying back toward the harbor, taking note of her energy levels. She'd used up a decent amount fighting Pitch had been no easy feat.

She decided to inform Frost, she placed a finger to her earpiece and hailed him.

* * *

At the base Frost finally managed to pull his lips free of Limelight. He leaned back against the computer table as he put a hand to his aching head. He was out of breath, weak, and lightheaded. He had no idea where this had come from.

"What's wrong Frost?" Limelight asked in concern.

"Don't know. Just got light headed suddenly," he said shaking his head. He took deep breaths in an attempt to clear it. But suddenly his earpiece came on.

"Frost this is Limelight. I just fought Pitch and I'm on my way back to the Cove."

Frost's eyes went wide. Everything around him seemed to slow as he tried to process what was going on.

"Frost are you there?" Limelight asked.

He turned around to face the Limelight beside him only to be met to the face with something hard and black. The force of whatever he'd been hit with rattled his skull as he fell to the ground. He looked up in bewilderment as everything started to go black.

And suddenly standing above him was…"Gothel," he whispered out weakly.

Gothel smiled down at him darkly. Having dropped he disguise.

"That's right hero. Thanks for telling me what I need to know," she said smugly. Then she stepped over him to start typing at the keyboard. He realized he'd just shown Gothel how to shut down the security measures.

"No."

* * *

Limelight paled as she heard the dreaded name of her worst enemy, followed by her voice. Gothel was there, in the Cove. And it seemed as if Frost was in trouble. She flew back to the base as fast as she could manage.

Reaching a hand down she went to pull out her communicator to inform her other teammates when she found it gone. She gasped and stopped in midair from the shock. She tried to figure out what happened. She knew she had it when she left.

And suddenly a thought occurred to her.

"Pitch," she said lowly. The fear illusion was a distraction she realized. All so he could get her communicator off her. The communicator was the key to entering the base after all. But how had they known that? How had they found them?

She shook her head before she continued flying forward at full speed. It didn't matter right now. All that mattered was that the base was compromised and her teammate was in danger. She shattered the sound barrier as she sped toward the base, reaching it in less than a minute. She broke right through the wall of the shipyard building before standing on the platform.

She waited anxiously for it to take her down. But then she sighed as she realized without her communicator it wouldn't. Flying above the platform she forced energy into her hands before blasting at it, with a super-hot sun blast she stated melting a hole in the platform. She made a full circle before she dove down. With a crash she smashed through he weakened platform before floating down into the Cove.

When she got there she looked and expected to find robots or Gothel. But all she saw was an empty cavern. Save for the still body of Frost at the supercomputer. She rushed over to him before kneeling down and cradling his head in his lap.

Her attention was drawn to the keyboard for a second and h she looked up to see it sparking from damage. It looked like it'd been stabbed with something. Probably so they couldn't reactivate the security measures or call for help.

She looked back down at Frost and gasped. Gothel had worked her dark magic on him. His face was paler and his hair whiter than normal. His breath was ragged and strained. He looked old. With wrinkles for a man in his late 80s or something. He was weak and dangerously frail.

"Hold on Jack, I'll fix you right up," she assured him as she held back tears. She willed her hair to move and begin wrapping around him.

"No," he suddenly breathed out. She stopped and started as he opened his eyes. "You…have…to…stop her…she's...going…for…the sword," he wheezed out between struggled breaths.

"No, I have to help you Frost, you could die," she insisted.

"Sword…comes first…go…be fine," Jack said weakly. She hesitated, understanding but torn about leaving him. But one look told her to go. With a nod she kissed him on the forehead before flying deeper into the base.

Frost laid there for a moment, still as he struggled to gather his strength. He assessed the situation. It was bad. They needed help.

They needed _her_.

Raising a shaky finger to his ear he pressed down on his ear piece. "Eve…come to the cove…priority alpha," he said aloud. A beep from his ear piece was confirmation his order had been received.

With that Frost slowly got himself up. His legs shook and trembled under his own weight, grabbing his cane he used it for support before summoning the winds. He used them to lift himself off the ground before hovering after Rapunzel.

He had to help her. They had to buy some time until their backup arrived.

* * *

Inside the tunnels of the Cove Limelight made her way to the vault. Truth be told she had no idea where it was. But she assumed following the trail of Drago bots would probably take her straight to it. So she smashed and blasted her way through them, ripping them to pieces as quickly as she could. Down one final tunnel she ripped a robot's head off before gazing ahead.

And that's when she saw Gothel, stepping out of a room with a large sword strapped to her back. Gothel took notice of her and smiled darkly.

"You're not getting away with that sword Gothel," Limelight growled out firmly.

Gothel just kept her confident smirk. "Oh I think I am little flower. But you're welcome to try and stop me," she said smoothly.

Limelight rose to her challenge, raising a hand up she fired a sun blast at her. But Gothel remained still before raising a hand up. And suddenly the sun blast vanished as it was sucked into Gothel's hand. Limelight gaped in shock before noticing some kind of gauntlet on Gothel's arm.

"Like it?" Gothel said as she raised it up in admiration. "Something my man made me. A little power syphoning device," she informed her. Limelight glared. Gothel only snorted in amusement.

With a shout Limelight threw herself at Gothel, raising a fist up high on the way. As she came down she threw her fist down, attempting to smash Gothel with one blow. But Gothel leapt back at the last second before waving her left hand through the air. In an instant black sand swirled around her before it compressed and formed itself into a long black rapier.

Gothel slashed a Limelight who barely managed to jerk her head back in time. But she still received a slight scratch on the cheek. Blood seeped from the wound slightly but disappeared a moment later.

"You don't live as long as I have without learning a few things flower," Gothel said as she raised her sword up. She swung it down before assuming a fencing stance. She leveled the sword at Limelight and waited.

Then she charged, swinging and lashing out at the heroine in an attempt to slash her apart. Limelight blocked with her arms, her outfit providing some protection with its durability. As she blocked and backed away she tried to punch and blast Gothel in retaliation, but Gothel would dodge or raise her gauntlet up in response.

And thus they continued to fight, stepping over destroyed robots as they tried to down the other. Soon they stumbled into the kitchen. Limelight got in a lucky swing, sending Gothel flying across the room and over a table. But soon she was on her feet. The sword in her hand turned into a small knife and she coked back her hand to throw it.

Limelight saw something on the counter to her left and just reacted. As the knife went sailing at her she blocked with a frying pan. The skillet took the dagger unharmed. Gothel cursed aloud before Limelight threw it at her. It sailed through the air before hitting her on the head.

Gothel cried out in pain as she felt a bruise beginning to form. She glared at Limelight angrily for leaving a mark on her. But suddenly she was yanked off her feet. She landed flat on her back and looked down at her ankles to see Limelight's hair wrapped around them. In her distraction Limelight had lengthen her hair and had it run across the floor.

Before Gothel could summon her black sword and cut herself free Limelight's hair pulled her forward. She was dragged across the floor and to Limelight's feet. Limelight glared down at her before lifting her up by the shoulder and then with a shout threw her through the door to the kitchen.

Gothel crashed through the door painfully. She felt her left shoulder had become dislocated from the impact. She was on the ground as she attempted to rub the pain out. But then she felt a strong hand wrap around her throat before she was lifted off the ground.

She kicked and thrashed as she attempted to get free but Limelight was much stronger than she was. Limelight glared at her before slamming her into the wall behind her. Gothel cried out in pain as the wall behind her cracked. Then Limelight began to increase the pressure of her grip. She wasn't going to kill Gothel. Just suffocate her until she passed out.

She watched as Gothel struggling began to lessen. Then her eyes began to droop. Just a few more seconds and she'd out.

But suddenly Limelight was sucker punched from the right. The force of the blow caused her to drop Gothel and stumble in the opposite direction. When she looked back she saw Jasper, smirking proudly and once again in a bulky battle suit.

"Ready for another round Limelight?" he asked with dark eagerness.

Limelight groaned in annoyance. Nothing could ever be easy for them.

* * *

Meanwhile, from inside a storage room thrashing and snarling could be heard. Suddenly the door bent outwards as the beast locked inside threw itself at it. There were intruders. He could smell more than just one now. With a final growl the door gave and Toothless crashed out.

In his monstrous form her growled lowly as he sniffed the air. He caught the scent of the intruders and rushed to find them.

* * *

Limelight and Jasper fought madly, swinging at each other in an attempt to destroy. Limelight was rocked by a blow to the face. But she ducked another swing before spinning behind Jasper. Grabbing him from behind she rushed forward and slammed him into the wall. Then with a spin she threw him down the hall so she could get some breathing room.

She took deep breaths as she started to feel fatigued. Soddenly she wobbled a little. Then she tasted blood in her mouth. Those were all bad signs. It meant her near invulnerability was starting to go. Which meant she was running low on energy. Her fight with Pitch and then Gothel was starting to add up.

But shaking her head to clear it she advanced on Jasper. Determined to win.

But then suddenly she was tackled. She rolled with her attacker before being pinned down with hands around her throat. She gazed up into the mad eyes of Gothel. She tried to throw her off her but Gothel held on tight. All the while she felt her energy being drained.

She started to get dangerously low, both Gothel's magic and that gauntlet were syphoning her energy at a frightening speed. She started getting weaker.

Gothel just smiled maliciously. Intent on draining all of Limelight energy before killing her. Jasper started making his was forward to assist her when suddenly a cold breeze was felt. Gothel stopped for a moment before a powerful wind knocked into her and sent her flying off Limelight and into Jasper.

They both glared ahead before a thick wall of ice suddenly blocked their view.

Limelight stood up before rubbing her throat. She turned to see Frost floating there. His cane touched the floor and she could see trail of ice connecting to the ice wall. She smiled at him gratefully. He smiled back and gave a shaky thumbs up.

"Hey heroes!" came a shout from behind Frost. He turned and Limelight looked passed him to see Horace. Clad in a battle suit of his own. He smiled at them before he pounded a fist into his palm. Suddenly a cracking sound was heard from behind. They glanced back to see a crack forming in the ice wall. No doubt from Jasper attempting to smash his way through.

They were trapped. They both turned their attention to Horace. He took a step forward before something rammed into him from behind.

"Toothless!" Limelight shouted happily. The wolf dog kept its attention on Horace who wrestled with him.

Suddenly the ice wall gave. Limelight and Frost turned to face Jasper and Gothel. But suddenly Horace came flying over them and straight into his brother and boss. They went tumbling in a heap before Toothless leapt over them.

He barked, with just enough force to collapse the ceiling in front of them. Closing the way off for their enemies. He looked at his friend and barked anxiously.

"We need to go," Limelight said firmly.

"But…sword…" Frost said in protest.

"We're in no shape to fight. It'll do us no good if we're both dead," she insisted. Frost mulled it over before sighing in defeat. With a nod he began leading them out with Toothless on their tail.

They came to the main chamber and were making their way to the exit platform when suddenly they noticed it was active. They watched and their stomachs dropped to their feet as they saw Pitch descending. A wicked smiled was on his face as he brought reinforcements. At least 10 more Drago bots.

The heroes cursed loud. But that was cut off as the Drago bots fired missiles at them. In a second Frost reacted. He created a wall of ice in front of them. Hoping to stop the missiles. But the missiles crashed into it and exploded. It took the brunt of the explosions but was broken. Frost was sent flying back from the force.

He landed painfully and he heard and felt a few of his now brittle bones crack. He cried out sharply as Limelight ran to his side. Pitch and the robots advanced, preparing to finish them.

Toothless stood in front of his allies. With a snarl he leapt at Pitch and the robots. Ready to tear them apart. But Pitch smiled before summoning a spiraling column of sand. It hit Toothless and slammed threw him back. Slamming him to the ground. Before he could get up the Drago bot fired nets at him.

He tried to break free but the nets suddenly came alive. Filling his body with a powerful electrical current. He whined in pain, but was now helpless.

Limelight sensed the situation. It was bad. She was low on energy. Frost and Toothless were down. Suddenly footsteps were heard as Gothel and the Stabbingtons walked into the main chamber. She was outnumbered.

Things were bad. Maybe by some slim chance she could win. But if she did she'd be out of energy. Which meant she couldn't heal Frost. Which meant he could die.

But if she didn't fight they would all die. She cradled Frost's head in her lap as the situation seemed hopeless.

Pitch watched as Frost was helpless. Finally he could kill him. He snapped his fingers and summoned up nightmares. He looked at Limelight and Frost who were helpless against him and sneered.

"Boo," he said as he pointed his hands at them. The nightmare surged forward. Five of them, ready to rip the heroes apart.

Limelight stayed there. She raised a hand up. She gathered her energy into it. Ready to make a final stand.

The nightmares leapt, bearing down on them with menacing amber eyes.

Limelight narrowed her eyes, this was it.

But then suddenly blue flashes flew from the side and hit the nightmares with deadly accuracy. They were obliterated in a blink of an eye. The villains stood there shocked before another blast impacted near their feet. They leapt back in surprise and gazed at the smoldering hole a few inches from where they'd been standing.

Limelight gaped in shock, trying to comprehend what happened. Then suddenly something lowered itself in front of her. She looked at in in surprise.

It was…some kind of robot. It was all white, egg shaped, and hovering just off the ground. It had two arms with no fingers. She had no idea where it'd come from.

"About time Eve," Frost said with a chuckle. Limelight looked at him in confusion. He knew what it was? "It's ok babe. She's on our side," he said to reassure her.

Limelight looked back up at the robot in front of them.

Eve.

The villains all glared at this new robot. They saw its head floated above its body and it appeared to have a face. A black screen with blue circles resembling eyes. They were wide as it seemed to be assessing the situation.

"Drago bots detected. Intruders identified as Gothel and Pitch Black," Eve said as she scanned their faces. Suddenly the villains noticed her eyes changed. They narrowed, looking as if she were glaring at them.

"Directive," the ends of her arms at her side split apart to become fingers. Eve started to draw more energy form her plasma core. Her scanners and sensors went into battle mode her weapons went live.

"Destroy."

* * *

**New chapter. Eve is here from the requests of some of the reviewers. Hoep you like.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Fighting Back**

Eve and the villains stared each other down as they waited for the other to attack. Eve's scanners watched for any signs of movement. She had come to the cove as fast as she could when Frost had called her. And she'd shown up just in time to save him and Limelight.

Limelight watched and waited for something to happen. She wondered if this Eve robot could really help them. There was just one of 'her' after all. She was outnumbered. But Frost didn't seem worried.

"It's ok Punz. She's got this," Frost said with a confident smile. He had full faith in Eve's power. That's why he'd called for her. She was only ever called from her post in absolute emergencies.

"Boys, destroy this thing," Gothel commanded in annoyance.

"With pleasure ma'am," Horace said with a smile. He stepped forward, eager to rip this robot apart and destroy Limelight. Jasper was right behind him. Equally anxious to smash something.

Eve waited for them to get closer. And that's when she acted.

Before Horace could react she surged forward and drove the finger on her right hand through the center of his chest. Horace gaped in shock at how easily she'd pierced his chest plate. He was about to fight back when Eve then yanked her arm free, ripping out the central power unit before tossing it the side.

Horace's suit malfunctioned and sparked from the gaping hole in the torso before going inactive. Horace fell backward with a yelp and was trapped by his heavy suit.

Jasper cursed at the robot before charging her. He swung at her but she dodged, lowering before moving behind him. But as she did her arms and hands were a blur as they shot out and spun madly as she circled him.

After making a full circle Eve moved back. Jasper glared at her in confusion. Wondering what she'd done. Eve opened her hands and let many tiny screws and bolts fall to the floor. Jasper gaped in shock before his armor simply fell off him in pieces.

He was wide eyed and slack jawed as he stared down at himself. She'd removed the screw and bolts holding his armor together so quickly and easily. He glanced back up and yelped when he saw Eve right in front of him.

Eve glared before the punched Jasper in the chest, sending him flying back before crashing in the cavern wall. He groaned in pain before blacking out.

"Dragon bots, attack," Gothel commanded s she pointed a finger at Eve. The robots obeyed. They flew at her with their weapons armed.

Eve locked onto them and powered up her plasma core. She then rocketed I to the air and at them. Flipping her arm around she activated her blaster and fired at the nearest one.

A small hole was blasted clean through the one she'd targeted. It went offline from the damage but didn't explode due to Eve's well placed shot. As it was falling Eve stuck her blaster arm through the hole and used the body as a shield while the other robots fired at her.

With her makeshift shield she blasted the Drago bots one by one, hitting vital components she'd detected from her scans. The robots exploded and went up in fiery messed before crashing through the ground.

One fired a missile at her, trying to blow her to pieces. But Eve spun and flung her shield in the missiles path. It exploded in midair upon impact and created a cloud of smoke. The Drago bot attempted to peer through the smoke with its scanner and detect Eve when suddenly its head was ripped off.

Eve had come around from behind and attacked. She tore its head off and flung it away. Then she stuck her blaster down its body before firing her weapon. The robots body exploded in a fiery blue flash as it was blown apart from the inside.

Only one robot remained as it kept trying to fight back. But Eve flew at it with blinding speed before with a sideways swipe of her hands, she sliced the head clean off.

With that the Drago bots were all defeated. And Eve hadn't taken any damage.

Everyone gaped in shock as they had watched Eve decimate the Stabbingtons and the Drago bots. But Frost only chuckled at their matching expressions.

"Told ya," he said to Limelight. Limelight started up in wonder. She was glad Eve was on their side.

Eve dropped from the air to hover just above the ground. She turned her attention to Gothel and Pitch. She waited for them to make a move. Her main priority was to protect Frost and Limelight.

Pitch snarled angrily. He wasn't going to let some machine stop him from killing Frost. He conjured his black scythe and charged forward. He slashed at her with a horizontal swing. But Eve calculated the trajectory and remained still. As the scythe was about to make contact she simply let her head hover a few more inched above her body. The blade passed through empty air and Pitch was wide eyed.

Eve used his surprise and pointed her blaster at him. She charged her energy into it and prepared to fire. Before she could Pitch made a sand shield to protect himself. It worked as eve fired, saving him from having his head blown off. But he was sent flying across the cavern.

He hit the ground hard. He winced in pain as he felt a few of his ribs had broken. He glanced up to see Eve advancing on him. Getting to his feet he disappeared into the shadows.

Eve stopped where Pitch had been and scanned the area for him. She swept her head back and forth and attempted to locate him.

Limelight watched as Eve attempted to locate Pitch. She hated how Pitch could just disappear and reappear from the shadows. She suddenly saw Pitch materialize behind Eve, his scythe cocked back and ready to destroy her.

She called out as Pitch swung. He figured he'd just won. But the scythe collided with something. A shimmering half sphere was suddenly around Eve's body. A kinetic energy barrier of her own. With Pitch having exposed himself she whirled around and grabbed him by the front of his coat.

Then she started spinning. She spun until she was a blur. Pitch cried out as the world became a wild blur. He started feeling nauseous before she let him go and flung him across the cavern again. He caught himself on a platform of sand and sent nightmare at her.

But Eve simply spun again. Her body became like a drill as she flew at the nightmares. Shredding them apart as she flew passed them. When they were gone she turned her attention back to Pitch.

Suddenly a shout was heard and Eve quickly raised her arm up and Gothel attempted to bring her black sword down upon her. But Eve's alloy was very strong. She attempted to strike back with a back hand but Gothel leapt back before she conjured illusions.

The Gothel illusions circled Eve. Gripping their swords firmly. She figured she'd wait for an opening and then strike.

But Eve wasn't fooled by her magic. After all, only one was real. And that meant only one had a heat signature.

Locking on she fired at the ground in front of the real one. The blast knocked her off her feet and sent her tumbling back to finally stop near Pitch. Gothel looked up before jerking her head to the side, narrowly missing a plasma blast where her head had just been.

She spared a glance to see where the plasma blast had gone. And her eyed landed on a smoldering hole in the cavern wall. Gothel stared wide eyed and gulped. The robot had tried to kill her.

Gothel and Pitch both turned their attention to Eve and stared.

Eve had her blaster on them. Her eyes were narrowed as she had them locked on. She let the power build up in her blaster. The villains noticed when they saw the blue glow emanating from the nozzle. They saw the glow build and get brighter. They knew the robot was trying to send a message.

The next shot would be for keeps.

"Pitch. We need to go. We have what we came for," Gothel whispered quietly. It was obvious they were not match for the robot.

Pitch remained silent and glared at Eve. He was seething at being denied the chance to kill Frost. But he reluctantly agreed with a nod. He and Gothel began to chant together, stirring up sand and dust around them and the Stabbingtons before disappearing.

Eve scanned the area thoroughly. When she couldn't detect any presence of the enemy she lowered her arm. Then she turned and hovered over to Toothless. With a swipe of her hand she cut through the net before removing it. Toothless stood up and shook himself. He licked at Eve in thanks, earning a giggle in response.

Then Eve turned her attention to the humans. She hovered over to them and scanned Frost.

"Rapid Cellular aging detected. No know medical response," Eve said. Her eyes changed, resembling a worried and sacred expression. She felt helpless, not knowing what to do to save him.

"It's ok…Eve," Limelight said to reassure her. It felt strange talking to a robot. She wrapped her hair around Frost and began pouring her energy into him. She sang her healing song and watched as his wrinkles smoothed and she heard his ribs click back into proper alignment.

His breathing became less strained and he managed to sit up.

"Eve, call Fury. Inform him of what's going on," Frost commanded. Eve nodded before calling her creator. But for some reason she could tell the signal wasn't getting through. She kept trying.

And while she did she kept on guard. Protecting her creator's friends and allowing Frost to heal.

* * *

In Scotland Hiccup started to stir from the blackness of his mind. The last thing he remembered was being attacked by Drago.

_Drago_, his mind suddenly screamed as he sat up quickly. This proved to be a bad decision as he felt his head throb and scream in protest.

"Don't move," came a familiar voice before he was suddenly pushed back down. He finally took noticed of a cloaked figure next to him. And he could now tell his head was being cradled.

"Merida?" he asked in slight confusion. The figure nodded. He then realized she was in her Archer outfit. "Ugh…where are we? What happened?" he asked.

"We're in the secret tunnels leading out of the castle. Ye were knocked out cold by the explosion of our car. So I carried you here to hide," she paused to look toward the light. "It's morning now."

Hiccup got up slower this time. He could see they were in a cave now. He looked ahead to see some rocks piled up in what could have been a cave opening. Light leaked through the cracks.

"So what now?" he asked aloud.

"I don't ken. The exit is blocked, and going back is nae an option."

Hiccup though about their situation. The rocks could probably be moved. But they would need a considerable amount of force and strength to do it.

"Merida I don't suppose you have my suitcase?" he asked her. She nodded before reaching an arm out and showing it to him. Hiccup smiled. Slowly he began making his way to his feet.

"Did you call the team?" he asked as he got to his knees.

"Aye. I can't reach them. Been trying for hours," she replied.

"Drago must be jamming the signal," he said thoughtfully. Reaching an arm out, he grabbed his suitcase and pulled it to him. Then he placed his palm on the front of it. A buzz was heard before his hand was scanned. The suitcase suddenly popped open.

Merida watched in fascination as he stuck his hand into some hand holds. Then he lifted the suitcase up and brought it to his chest. It suddenly clamped on around him as he pulled his hands free. She gasped as she saw they were now covered with gauntlets.

She realized that the suitcase was armor. She watched in amazement as it began expanding, clicking, and building itself on around him. It was different from what she usually saw him wear. Lime green with splashed of red, and even small horns on the head. The helmet looked like a dragon as it came up.

"Stand back," he said in an altered voice. She complied, standing up and stepping away. Hiccup looked at the wall and raised his gauntlets up at it. He began to build up energy as he prepared to fire at it.

Then he unleashed it. Two powerful blasts blew the rocks away, leaving their exit clear as sunlight streamed through. Merida and Hiccup smiled happily as they finally stepped out into the daylight. They saw they were at the castle wall, hidden in the forest.

They walked out while warily looking around. But soon enough they came to an open field. And standing in the center were Drago and Mor'du.

"Ah, there you are heroes. Ah was afraid ye were dead," Mor'du said with a smirk.

Fury and Archer glared back at them.

"Now if ye don't mind. We'll be taking the stone," Mor'du said pointing at Archer. Archer only slipped it into a pocket on her cloak before pulling out her bow and grabbing an arrow. Fury began to draw energy from his plasma core.

They were ready this time. They could fight now.

Mor'du and Drago smiled. Drago twirled his pike in his hands and rolled his shoulders. Mor'du smiled, baring his teeth and pulled out a war axe and some kind of fire arm.

Drago was the first to attack. He pointed his pike at them and fired. But Fury raised hand up and fired back. The blasts collided in the middle of them and created an explosion. The two sides couldn't be seen by the other and suddenly Drago leapt through the smoke.

He had his pike arm cocked back as he prepared to swing at them. But Fury leapt at him and tackled him to the ground. Pining him down he punched Drago repeatedly in the face, his armored gauntlet clanged upon contact with Drago's super thick and hard skull.

Drago growled and his eyes changed to reptilian slits before he grabbed Fury by the throat with his robotic arm and flipped them over. Pinning him down beneath him. He raised his pike and reappeared to stab him but Fury pressed a palm to his chest and charged his energy. Then he fired, hitting Drago squarely in the chest and sending him flying off him.

Fury leapt to his feet and advanced on him.

Meanwhile, Archer and Mor'du fired at each other. Mor'du kept blocking her arrow with a swing from his huge double bladed axe before retuning for with his strange blaster.

It was some kind of laser weapon, and extremely powerful as it left a smoldering hole in the ground. Archer nimbly dodged and rolled out of the way before retuning fire.

"Why are ye doing this Mor'du?!" she shouted out at him.

"Just finishing what was started all those years ago," Mor'du said as he fired at her.

"Why? Your ancestor was a madman. Why are ye so obsessed with finishing what he started?" she said as she fired another arrow.

Mor'du blocked with the flat of his blade and knocked it away. He looked at Archer with his beat like eyes and chuckled darkly. "Ye still don't get it. Do ye?" he growled out. Archer cocked her head to the side, not knowing what he meant.

"Ah am not my ancestor Archer," Mor'du revealed. Archer's eyes wined in shock. What he was saying was impossible. That could only mean…

"I. AM. MOR'DU!"

* * *

**New chapter. Hope you like. Hope you like Eve.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Mine**

Merida's mind was reeling at Mor'du's revelation. That he wasn't the descendant of the original Mor'du, but the original Mor'du. But that couldn't be. It was impossible.

"You're lying, ye can't be the real Mor'du, that would make you—,"

"Aye, over a thousand years old," Mor'du finished for her.

Merida stood there gob smacked. How was that possible?

"The witch's magic did more than just give me my strength. It made me immortal. Ah have waited an eternity to finish what Ah started. And I won't let a whelp like you get in my way," Mor'du snarled as he leapt at her with his axe raised.

Overcoming her shock Archer rolled out of the way. Narrowly missing being sliced in half like a log. She looked at the ground where she'd been standing and gasped. Mor'du axe head was not normal. It glowed red hot, and there was a wicked scorch mark where it had pierced the soil.

Narrowing her eyes she drew an arrow and fired at Mor'du. It flew at him before the head exploded and released a steel net. But Mor'du sliced through it with his axe. Archer sighed in annoyance before notching another arrow.

As Mor'du charged she took aim and fired. Mor'du jerked to the left and let it sail passed him before he continued his charge. Archer smiled knowingly, but it faltered when Mor'du whirled around and used his blaster to shoot the arrow as it was coming back after him.

Mor'du turned to her and smirked. "It's been some years since Ah have seen that bow," he said staring at it. Archer's eyes widened underneath her mask in surprise. Mor'du lifted up his arm and showed off a faded scar. "Damn thing was used by your ancestor. Ye look just like her ye know."

Archer gasped. If he was saying she resembled her ancestor. Then that could only mean…

"Yes Ms. Dunbroch. I know exactly who ye are. Ah always have," he said with a dark smile. Icy terror filled Merida's veins. If he knew who she was then that meant her family, everyone she cared about was in danger.

"No need to worry, Merida, Ah don't care. It wouldn't make a difference who ye were. Ah would have still crushed you… but…" he paused to give her a hungry look as he swept his eyes up and down her form. "Ah think Ah'll keep ye to myself. Ah'll have ye in your ancestor's place. Ah won't be denied again," he roared out.

Archer was frozen in fear. Her mind reeling from all these revelations. This man had been alive for a thousand years. How could she hope to beat someone like that?

"But before that…Ah will kill that Haddock boy," he added with a growl. And just like that her fear was replaced by something else. Rage.

If he wanted to hurt her then fine. But she wouldn't let him near Hiccup. Her will to fight had been rekindled as she drew another arrow and took aim.

Meanwhile Drago was thrown back against a tree by Fury. He cried out as he slowly got his feet under him. He was out of breath and shaky from their battle. Fury panted inside his armor, he was sweating and tired from their fight as well.

His armor had sustained minor damage from Drago's pike. He had small holed in the chest plate, but they weren't enough to make the armor malfunction. Though this armor wasn't as strong as his regular one it was still strong and reliable, just like everything else he built.

He stepped forward to advance on Drago when he snarled and suddenly took a deep breath. Drago's chest expanded as he took in massive amount of air, only capable of such a feat due to his mutated body. Then with a roar he breathed at Fury, releasing an icy stream of air at him.

Fury was surprised by Drago wave of ice. He raised his arms up to block as it reached him. The environmental protection of his suit kept him from being frozen. And his armor's special alloy prevented it from icing over and becoming brittle. With a flex she shook off the ice crystals on him and gazed at the area around him. It was all covered in icy spiked protrusions.

But his attention was grabbed when Drago charged him with his robot arm cocked back. He waited for Drago to come before raising his right arm to halt his hook. Then he punched him with his free hand in the jaw. Drago stumbled back from the blow but Fury advanced.

He threw a left, then a right, then a left again as he kept the pressure on Drago up.

Meanwhile, Archer delivered a kick to Mor'du's stomach, knocking the air out of him. Then she threw a punch to his face, she swung with all her might, planning to knock him out.

But that proved to be an error.

For when her fist made contact…it was like hitting a stone wall. She cried out as she felt like her knuckles had been broken. Mor'du hadn't even flinched. Hadn't even moved. He simply snorted as she flapped her hand around and glared at him.

"That looked like it hurt. Shall Ah kiss it for ye?" he asked mockingly.

"Kiss this," Archer replied as she grabbed her bow in hand and notched an arrow. Taking aim she fired. But once again Mor'du simply swatted it away with the blade of his axe. Then he swung it at her. Archer ducked under his slash before driving her heel into the underside of his chin. It was enough to make him step back as he clenched his jaw and growled in annoyance at the throbbing.

"Ye won't win Mor'du. Even if ye get the stone ye still don't have the sword," she reminded him smugly. But to her surprise and confusion Mor'du only smirked. He flashed her a toothy grin, almost like he knew something.

"Ah wouldn't be too sure about that princess. Don't think your little shipyard fortress can't be breached."

Archer's stomach dropped to her feet. If he knew about the shipyard…then that could only mean.

"No," she whispered in dread.

"Aye. As we speak Gothel and Pitch are obtaining my sword. And finishing off your comrades. After all," he paused to shoot the ground in front of her, scattering dirt and blinding her as some flew into her face. She quickly cleared her eyes and looked back only to see Mor'du gone.

But then she felt a presence behind her. She whirled around only to be met with a backhand across the face. Then she was given a blow to the stomach. She cried out as the air was knocked out of her and went flying back. She hit the ground hard on her back and coughed up blood.

Archer was no stranger to being struck. In her superhero career she'd been hit by bad guys before. But no blow compared to Mor'du's. The whole world spun and she threatened to lose consciousness. She held on by sheer will alone.

"Your friends are more powerful then you two. You're only human," Mor'du said mockingly as he moved to finish the fight.

She was helpless as Mor'du advanced on her. Her head was spinning as she tried to clear the cob webs. She had to get up. She was a sitting duck.

Fury, who'd heard Archer's cry, was desperate to get to her. He threw a series of quick punches to Drago's stomach and then face before catching him with an upward swing to the chin. Then he lashed out with his leg, catching Drago in the chest and sending him tumbling back.

With Drago temporarily incapacitated he turned and to his horror saw Mor'du advancing on a downed Archer. Activating his small set of wings and his thrusters he flew towards them.

Coming down and deactivating his thrusters and wings he caught Mor'du on the side of the head with a downward swing. Mor'du cried out and was rattled by the blow before Fury spun on his heel and struck him across the face with the back of his fist. Then with his other hand he punched Mor'du square in the nose. Mor'du stumbled back with a pain cry.

Fury punched Mor'du in the ribs with his right before ducking a swing from his axe. He weaved right before delivering a right hook across the jaw. His armored fist clanged against Mor'du's skull and he growled out in pain as he stumbled back. Fury advanced, his blood boiling with protectiveness for Merida. He wouldn't lose anyone he lived again.

Never again.

With an angry cry he pummeled Mor'du with his fists. Not giving his enemy the chance to retaliate. If Mor'du had been a normal man his skull would have cracked and his ribs would be all but broken. But even he was hurt and rattled by Fury's assault.

Fury clapped his hands over Mor'du's ears. The attack disoriented him. Fury took a small jump and brought his arms down on Mor'du's shoulders, forcing him to one knee. Then he clapped his fists together and swung them diagonally across Mor'du's skull.

Mor'du was dazed. His head rang and he actually nearly blacked out. Fury raised his hands up and built up power before firing straight at Mor'du's torso. Mor'du was sent tumbling back, rolling across the ground before skidding to a stop.

Fury panted as he watched Mor'du. Waiting for him to get up and using the opportunity to regain his breath. And slowly but surely Mor'du got to his feet with a groan. His clothing had been blasted away by Fury's attack and he was now shirtless. On his upper body were swirling blue tattoos. And running diagonally down his chest was an angry red scar. It looked almost like a burn mark.

Shaking his head to focus Fury activated the claws on his gauntlet. Three razor sharp claws flicked out on his right gauntlet before he slowly started to advance.

Mor'du got himself back to his feet, albeit he was very unsteady. He couldn't remember the last time someone had managed to injure him so much. He tasted blood in his mouth. And his scar burned. Looking up he saw Fury advancing on him. With a growl he raised his blaster and took aim to fire.

But Fury was faster. Raising his left arm he fired first. His aim was true as he hot the blaster in the barrel, causing it to explode in Mor'du's hand. Mor'du cried out as his hand became scorched and bits of his blaster became imbedded in it.

He looked up at Fury with dark eyes and snarled. His mind flashed back to a battle he'd fought over 1000 years ago. When one man had been foolish enough to face him alone. He shook his head. He didn't know why he was suddenly thinking about that. He bared his teeth and growled, gripping his axe tighter as he waited for Fury to come.

"FURY!" suddenly came a shout from behind. Fury froze in his tracks before turning slightly to look behind him. And his stomach dropped at what he saw.

It was Merida. She was being held by Drago from behind as his robotic arm was wrapped around her neck. Drago glared dangerously and Merida's eyes were wide with uncertainty.

"Surrender Fury. Or she dies," Drago warned. Fury didn't move. He kept his gaze fixed on Drago while keeping Mor'du in his sight as well. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Merida was in danger, with his robotic arm Drago could easily break her neck. But what was worse was that he knew he would. He didn't care about anyone else. Especially not his enemy.

A subtle shake of the head from Merida let him know what she wanted. She wanted him to fight. To not surrender. To let her die. His mind flashed back to the Keiko's last words. When he was holding her bleeding and weak form. Looking at him with such sadness and regret.

What should he do? Fight and maybe protect the lives of millions? Or lose the woman he loved again.

It wasn't even a choice.

_I choose Merida_.

Lowering his arm he let it fall to his side before dropping his head in defeat. He couldn't lose her. He couldn't lose someone he loved again. Especially not Merida.

Drago smiled triumphantly. Merida tried to scream at him in protest but was cut off when he eyes widened as she looked behind him. Fury turned to follow her gaze just in time to see Mor'du advancing with his axe poised above his head. Fury didn't have time to dodge as he swung.

The axe slashed through Fury's armor. Searing hot pain ripped through him and he released strangled cry before falling to the ground. He felt the burning hot line running across his chest. He smelt the burning of his flesh and scorched metal. The pain was overwhelming and he blacked out.

But he prayed that he'd given Merida a chance to live. She was a fighter. He knew she could find a way.

Mor'du smiled viciously as his opponent lay on the ground motionless. The man's armor was stronger than he gave him credit for. He normally didn't like winning in such an underhanded way, but he'd come too far to be stopped by the ridiculous notion of honor.

He raised his axe above his head. Ready to cut Fury's head off with one swing. But then a thought occurred to him. Lowering his arm he walked to Drago who was holding his prize.

"The honor should be yours my friend," he said with a dark smile. Drago smiled back in gratitude. With shove he released Archer and began walking to finish Fury.

Archer tried to use the momentary release to fight back but she was soon caught in the powerful arms of Mor'du before being held tightly against his chest. But while being forced to look in the direction of Fury's still form.

"Watch princess. Watch as your hero dies," Mor'du cackled out as he held her. Merida thrashed against his grip. She struggled and kicked with all her strength. But it was no use. Mor'du was like a solid wall of muscle. She couldn't hope to break free.

She stopped to watch the horrible scene before her. Hot tears came to her eyes as she felt helpless. She was going to have to watch Hiccup die.

Drago reached Fury and looked down at him with a menacing smile. He'd finally done it. He'd beaten the hero. By using his humanity as a weakness. Raising his pike he brought it down on Fury's shoulder, piercing through the armor and deep into his shoulder.

Fury released a guttural cry of pain. But he still remained unconscious and still.

Merida's struggling was renewed with vigor at hearing Hiccup cried out. It rocked her to her soul. It felt like he'd stabbed her too, but in the heart. She watched in agony as Drago pulled the pike out before limiting Fury up with his robotic arm by the helmet.

With a growl he squeeze down on his helmet, bending the metal inwards. It sparked and screeched from the damage before he stopped. He raised his pike and readied to stab him in the heart.

Merida whimpered and sobbed as she watched Hiccup about to die. She shouted and begged Drago to stop. Normally she would curse and spit at an enemy till the bitter end. But she didn't care if she sounded pathetic. She didn't care about her dignity.

She couldn't see Hiccup die.

Drago paused to cast her one last smirk. He smiled at her with a wicked grin before he turned back to Fury and narrowed his eyes. Merida watched as the world seemed to slow down as Drago tensed his arm to run Hiccup through.

"NOOOOOO!"

Just as Drago was about to stab Fury in the chest blue fire exploded in his face. The heat seared his skin and he cried out before dropping Fury and rearing back. Mor'du watched in bewilderment as he tried to comprehend what happened. But then suddenly he cried out as he felt something pierce through his foot.

Merida had reached the miniature crossbow Hiccup had made her inside of her cloak and fired the tiny preloaded bolt, aiming down and catching Mor'du right where she hoped she would. She felt his grip loosen just enough for her to free an arm. She quickly reached behind her and pulled out an arrow. She pressed down on the flat arrow head and released tear gas directly into Mor'du's face.

Mor'du cried out as his eyes and throat started to burn. He let go of his prey and dropped his axe as he started coughing like mad. Merida didn't hesitate.

She surged forward, scooping up her bow as she ran to Hiccup.

Drago who'd overcome his shock tried to advance on him again. But she drew an arrow and fired, hitting him in his robotic arm. The arrow gave a beep before it exploded, blowing his arm to bits and sending him flying back from the force.

Merida made it to Hiccup and kneeled down beside him. She lowered her head and was relieved to hear him still breathing. It was ragged and strained, but it meant he was alive.

She heard a growl and looked back to see Mor'du. He stepped clear of the gas to glare at her. She glared back. Her eyes burning with ire and hatred.

"He's **mine**," she said lowly.

Mor'du actually roared at her. It was animalistic and primal as he charged. Merida drew an arrow and waited for him to come. And while she did the mystic symbol on her bow began to glow. They glowed brighter than they ever had. She notched and pulled back on the draw string.

And then she noticed a wisp appear at her right. She paid it only a small glance before turning her attention back to the approaching Mor'du. She felt her hand buzzing as her bow got warmer. The symbols burning brighter.

And suddenly the bow itself became surrounded by blue flames. They flickered and burned with the intense heat of her rage. But it didn't burn her hand. Then she fired. And when she did the wisp spun and merged with the head of her arrow. Covering the head and the entire shaft in its blue flames.

It sailed through the air like a burning fireball. Mor'du was taken aback and stopped in his tracks. He raised his axe head in front of him to block. But when the arrow collided with the axe it didn't just bounce off it like it normally would. It actually…pushed against it. Mor'du dug his heels into the dirt, but it didn't help. He felt himself being pushed back.

He'd never seen the bow do that before. He tried to push back, and it gave a little. But then the arrow stared to spin like a drill. The flames got hotter and bigger, roaring, and flickering at him wildly in a spiraling mass of heat. He felt the heat sear his hand and singe his beard. Finally with a cry he was sent flying back as the arrow pushed him off his feet.

His back collided with a tree before the arrow pierce his axe head, melting a hole right through the nearly impervious alloy and passed his head. But not before burning half of his face in the process. Then it ripped through the tree behind him, sending it up in flames that engulfed him.

Merida watched, uncaring if Mor'du had been killed. She had no idea how she did that. The wisp had actually attacked Drago when she screamed. They'd never done that. And the flames on her bow…she didn't know it could do that.

She looked at her bow, which had gone back to its original state, in wonder. She wondered what else it could do.

The flames died down, and she glanced up to see Mor'du. Still alive. But badly burned. Hs body was singed and covered in Ash. He looked up and glared. Merida was about to draw another arrow but suddenly her legs gave out. She was hit by a wave of exhaustion. She panted heavily as sweat poured off her.

She guessed that this was an after effect of using the bow's power like she just had. A shout grabbed her attention. She turned to see Drago rushing her. His pike raised and aimed at Fury. Out of energy she acted without thinking. She threw herself onto him, intent on using her own body as a shield.

Drago kept coming. He didn't care if Archer died. Two birds and one stone was what he had in mind. But right as he came within stabbing distance a column of blue flames suddenly blazed in front of him. He leapt back in surprise and watched as it turned into a spiraling column around Archer and Fury.

"NO!" he roared in Fury as suddenly the flames obscured them from view. Then in a flash they were gone.

And so were the heroes.

He stared slack jawed. He couldn't believe it. He'd come so close to killing Fury. And then…that happened. He roared, his breath coming out in icy mists and he shouted and cursed the heavens. But he stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked back to see Mor'du behind him.

"Easy laddie. We have what we came for," he said as he held up the white stone he'd taken from Archer. This only calmed Drago down somewhat. With one last growl he nodded before letting his shoulder droop.

Mor'du looked at the scorched pat of earth where Archer and Fury had been. He bared his teeth in frustration.

"Cursed spirits."

He had no idea where they whisked them off to. But with a sigh he turned away with Drago right behind him. He focused on the task at hand. He needed to get in touch with Gothel and Pitch. They should have gotten the sword by now. That's what was most important.

With a smile his mood brightened considerably.

For soon, he would become a god.

* * *

**New chapter. Hope ye like. **

**BTW in case you were wondering. And yes the suitcse armor idea ws from iorn man 2. i thought it was cool. **

**Hiccup: 24**

**Merida: 23**

**Jack: 23**

**Rapunzel: 22**


	22. Chapter 22

**Will to Fight**

Merida held on to Hiccup for who knew how long. She heard and saw the blue flames engulfing them. She didn't know what was going on. Just clutched his form tightly before they suddenly vanished. And that's when she noticed the area had changed. Glancing around she saw she wasn't outside anymore. She was…in a cave?

A click behind her got her attention, she turned and her eyes flew wide as she a white robot with a blaster arm aiming right at her. Blue lights on its face resembled narrowed eyes as it kept her within its sights. Merida didn't know what to do. She didn't have the energy or the time to react before this thing could probably kill her.

"Eve stop!" suddenly came a familiar voice. Merida's eyes widened more as she glanced passed the robot and saw Jack. And beside him was Rapunzel. She looked up again and then realized she was at the cove. She guessed the wisps must have somehow moved her there.

Eve kept her blaster pointed at her as she did a facial scan. When it was complete she lowered her weapon.

"Archer recognized," Eve said.

Jack and Rapunzel rushed to her side to see if she was ok. They were utterly confused as to how she suddenly just appeared. One moment nothing, then there was a bust of blue flames and then she was there. They were about to ask where Hiccup was when they saw what lay under her.

"HICCUP!" Jack shouted as he dropped to his knees beside him. "Hiccup, come on man get up," he said in worry. He saw the deep slashes in his armor. His bent and damaged helmet. And the nasty puncture in his shoulder armor. And he could smell blood and scorched flesh.

"What happened?"

"Mor'du and Drago attacked us…I," Merida paused to swallow a sob. Her shoulders began to shake as tears began to flow. "He did it to protect me," she choked out miserably.

"Damn," Jack cursed as he tried to get the armor off. But it wouldn't give. "Eve, remove the armor," he commanded.

Eve came forward and complied. Her arms were a blur as she worked at the armor's screws and bolts. But at some parts she just had to rip it off him. But eventually the armor was completely gone. Revealing the nasty scars and burns.

"Punz please," Merida begged with tears in her eyes. Rapunzel nodded and came forward. She wrapped her hair around him and started to let her energy flow within him. But after only a moment she felt something wrong.

She looked up at Merida and gave her a sorrowful look. "Mer…I'm sorry," she whispered. Merida looked at her in confusion, but then she noticed. Her blond locks began to shorten, and slowly the blond began to recede, leaving behind a brown. Even her skin seemed to pale. She'd reached her limits.

She was out of power. And she couldn't heal Hiccup.

"No…damn it," Jack cursed. He looked at Hiccup who was pale and still. He had to get medical attention soon. "Eve, let's get him to the needle room," Jack said looking to the robot. Eve remained still.

"Scans show needle room compromised. Not useable at this time," Eve replied. Jack cursed. Eve had attached a small camera to Toothless who was making his way through the base to see what areas weren't destroyed the Drago bots.

He racked his brain for another solution.

"Recommend Migration protocol," Eve piped in. He looked at her and mulled it over.

"Agreed. Eve, take him," he said standing up. Eve nodded. The girls looked at him in confusion before Eve's chest released an energy field around Hiccup. It lifted him off the ground as he was surrounded by a blue sphere. Then Eve began moving him, making her way to the tunnels.

Jack led the girls after her.

"Jack, what's the migration protocol?" Merida asked as she kept a nervous glance on Hiccup.

"It means we evacuate. The Cove is compromised and we can't come back. So we move to the main base," he explained.

"Main base?" Merida asked in surprise.

"Yeah, Cove is the most used one. But there are backup facilities all throughout the city. Fury is a careful guys. Doesn't like to work take work home. We'll collapse this one later, but for now we have to take care of Hiccup," he finished resolutely.

As they made their way through the tunnels they ran into Toothless. The wolf dog whined when he took in Hiccup's state. Her barked and nosed him but earned no response. Merida stroked him in comfort, sharing his worry and concern.

They followed Eve deeper into the base. To a section Merida and Rapunzel hadn't been shown. And then they came to what looked like a monorail system, complete with a trolley. Jack explained that the tunnel led right to the main base, and that Eve had used it to get here. Hiccup was placed down onto a bench before Eve powered up the trolley and got it moving.

Merida stroked Hiccup's head and face. She wished he would move. Or do something. The ride was quiet. Everyone letting their situation sink in. Their enemies had what they wanted. They'd lost. And Hiccup's life was in danger.

The ride must have taken at least an hour by Merida's guess. But she wasn't really paying attention. They came to a stop before Eve activated her energy filed and lifted Hiccup up and carried him into the new facility. Like the Cove it was underground, but with fluorescent lighting in the ceiling. A pathway lit up as Eve moved.

She made her way to a room with a glass screen. She went inside through a sliding door on the side and laid Hiccup on a table. Merida was about to follow when Jack held up his staff to stop her. She looked at him in confusion. Wondering why he'd stopped her.

"Sterile environment," he said motioning with his head to the room. "Needs to be clean for surgery."

"Surgery?!" Merida choked out. She looked inside to see Eve move into a nook in the wall. She was suddenly sprayed and wiped down to disinfect before she exited. A holographic display suddenly appeared in front of her as she got to work.

Her fingers were a blur as she began to heal her master. From the ceiling robotic arms came down. All with surgical tool attached to them. She controlled them effortlessly as she began reknitting nerves, sewing up skin, and removing pieces of armor that had melted onto Hiccup's flesh. Eve took an X-ray and memorized it with only a glance.

The girls watched in amazement. Eve was moving so quickly. There was no hesitation, no nervousness, only precision focus and skill.

"Eve has the medical knowledge of every textbook and journal ever published," Jack explained. "She can perform an open heart surgery singlehanded if she had too," he said as he watched Eve work.

They continued to watch in silence before the door to their viewing room opened. They looked to see a square cube on wheels roll in. On it was a tray of drinks. It came to Jack first. He smiled won at it before grabbing the slushy. Then it moved to Merida. She eyed it curiously before she took a glass of iced tea off it. Then it rolled over to Rapunzel who took some lemonade.

They stared at the cube until suddenly arms came out from the sides. They grabbed the sides of the tray before lifting it off it. Then from on top of the cube popped out a small head. It was some kind of robot, with two large camera like eyes. It looked between Merida and Rapunzel, almost like it was curious.

"Wall-E," it suddenly said. They raised an eyebrow at it.

"Guys, this is Wall-E. He's a maintenance and garbage bot for the main base. And Eve's boyfriend," Jack said smiling at it.

Merida looked back at Eve who was still working. "Eve?" she finally said. She was curious about the robot.

"Yep. Eve. You may have noticed that her voice sounds familiar?" he asked them. The girls thought about it and it occurred to them that her voice was similar to the voice they would hear from their rooms' interface. "Eve is Fury's systems AI. She's also the security droid for the main base. She controls everything," he explained.

"She's amazing," Rapunzel said in wonder as she looked at the robot.

"Yep. Besides his armors and plasma core, Eve is probably Hiccup's greatest creation. She became the system AI after his old one, Otto, or something, went all Skynet terminator and he had to destroy it," he explained. "Eve is decades ahead of her time. Probably the most advanced robot on the planet."

"And Wall-E?" Merida asked jerking a thumb to the little robot.

Wall-E released a dreamy sigh as he watched his girlfriend work.

Jack pursed his lips and shrugged. "Wall-E has heart."

"She seems different than most robots," Rapunzel pointed out.

Jack nodded. "Both Eve and Wall-E's AIs allow them to feel. It gives them a sense of right and wrong, personalities, likes and dislikes. But also a sense of duty. Hiccup thought this was necessary after Otto."

They continued to watch as Eve patched Hiccup up. She finished by cauterizing and sewing up his wounds. With one more scan she deemed him stable.

"Let's get him to bed Eve," Jack said aloud. Eve nodded before picking Hiccup up with her energy field and carrying him out of the room. The other followed. Eve led them to a platform that rose up, before the ceiling opened to place them in the center of a large room. Toothless opted to stay below since his monster form would hinder his movement in the upper levels.

"This is Hiccup's house," Jack explained. Merida and Rapunzel looked around impressed. It was a mansion. Eve made her way through it the girls followed and noticed a new robot come out. Alongside it were what looked like a vacuum and a squeegee on wheels. They appeared to be scrubbing the floor behind them diligently.

"That M-O. Head cleaning bot for the mansion," Jack said motioning to the small one. They made their way up some stairs that led to the second floor. The hallways were filled with rooms. Opening one they saw it was the master bedroom. Eve deposited Hiccup on the lush green bed and allowed Jack to throw the blankets over him.

"Good girl Eve," Jack told the robot. Eve nodded in acceptance and left saluted before leaving the room. "We should get some sleep," Jack recommended. They all nodded in agreement. Jack led Rapunzel to a spare bedroom while Merida stayed beside Hiccup.

She took off her cloak and dropped her bow and arrow to the floor. She was exhausted beyond belief. She took a look at her bow. She wondered how she'd done all these new things. But deciding to leave it for later she crawled into Hiccup's bed. She curled up beside him, snuggling against his warmth. She hoped he would wake up soon.

She let her eyes fall and soon she fell asleep beside him.

* * *

Rapunzel got out of bed a few hours later and went outside. She planned to absorb as much sunlight as she could get. She'd never been this drained of energy before. She found a table outside on Hiccup's huge front lawn and laid back, allowing her body to absorb the light.

But soon she got tired of remaining motionless and got up. She wandered around the grounds, going around the side of the house and to the backyard. She gasped when she saw that Hiccup's house was on a cliff outside the city. She peered over the edge and saw the Cliffside and water below. She stepped back and looked around some more before noticing a green house.

Curious she walked toward it and found a door leading inside. Inside it was very warm and somewhat humid. She was amazed at all the plants. She looked at all the different flowers and grasses when she noticed Eve. Eve had a watering can as she floated around watering the plants.

Eve looked up from a flower and saw her. Her eyes changed, resembling smiling expression and she waved. Rapunzel smiled and waved back before walking over to her. She guessed that Eve must have loved planting. Eve seemed very enthusiastic as she flew around and brought Rapunzel colorful and beautiful potted flowers. She also led her to small trees in bloom and other plants Rapunzel hadn't seen before.

She looked at Eve and smiled. She was definitely more than a machine. She seemed to love her collection of plants and she clipped, watered, and cared for them very tenderly. Then Eve darted to a corner of the greenhouse and came back with a pretty purple flower. It was bell like in shape and its petal spread open.

"Campanula rapunculus," Eve explained as she pointed at the flower. Rapunzel looked at her and smiled, assuming that's what it was called. "Common name, Rampion."  
"It's beautiful," Rapunzel said smiling down at it. When she'd had enough she held it out for Eve to take. But to her surprise Eve gently pushed it back toward her. Rapunzel looked up and saw Eve nod. With a smile Rapunzel held the flower close, viewing it as a token of friendship.

* * *

"Wow, so Eve actually gave you a flower?" Jack said as Rapunzel showed it to him. She nodded and smiled at it. "Eve's usually very protective of her plants. She won't even let me go into her greenhouse. She only lets Hiccup," Jack said thoughtfully. They sat in the kitchen at the table as they had some sandwiches. They felt better, rested and now were just waiting for Hiccup.

"That's cuz she thinks you'd freeze them icicle," came a welcomed voice. Rapunzel and Jack's heads whipped around to see Hiccup. Standing at the entrance to the kitchen with Merida beside him.

"Well look who came back to the land of the living," Jack said as he ran to him mockingly. With a smiled he held out his hand. Hiccup smiled and clasped arms with him. "Glad you're ok partner," he said in earnest.

"Yeah. You too," he said with a nod. "Good to see you're alright too Punz," he said looking to the girl. She smiled at him and nodded. But then his face became serious.

"Let's get down to the supercomputer. It's time Eve told us the full story."

* * *

The team gathered in the base below Hiccup's mansion as Eve explained what Mor'du was planning. From what she had translated from the many scrolls and books, Mor'du was planning to open a doorway. One leading to a realm occupied entirely by dark spirits. She explained that his sword was the key to opening it.

"And where is this doorway?" Hiccup asked in his chair. Eve pulled up an image on the computer screen. It was from one of the books and it looked like an old illustration of Stonehenge or something.

"The standing stones," Merida breathed out as she recognized them.

Hiccup looked at them before turning to ask Eve another question. "Eve, how soon will Mor'du be able open the door?" he asked seriously.

"Information speaks about some kind of event taking place on this day 1000 years ago," Eve explained. Hiccup was about to command her to elaborate when she spoke up. "An event in which the moon eclipses the sun," she said.

"The solar eclipse," Rapunzel gasped out. She looked at Jack. "The one you told me about at the fair," she reminded him.

"Eve, how long until the eclipse happens?" Hiccup asked.

"Estimated time…5.5 hours," Eve informed him.

Everyone blinked in surprise. They were already on a deadline. The time was drawing near as they spoke.

"Eve, what's so special about the lodestone?" Merida asked the robot.

Eve looked to Merida and started pulling up a variety of images on the computer screen. "Portal will only remain open as long as eclipse lasts. Approximate time is seven minutes. But the lodestones will allow portal to remain open indefinitely by halting the position of the moon."

Everyone's eyes widened in shock.

"Halt the moon? That high level magic right there," Jack said with a shudder. The kind of power to do that was unimaginable.

"Stones were hidden away thousands of years ago. Scattered to different sections of the earth," Eve informed them.

"And Ah led Mor'du to the last one," Merida groaned out as she rubbed her temples.

"There was no way of knowing Merida," Hiccup said to console her. She gave a weak smile in thanks.

Hiccup scratched Toothless' head as he laid at his feet. He thought of what else to ask.

"Why does he want the portal to be open Eve? What's his plan?"

Eve changed the screen to a different set of images. And Hiccup recognized them.

"Those look like the tattoos I saw on Mor'du," he said scratching his chin.

"Texts explain that markings allow object to absorb the power of spirits. Druids theorized that absorption of a large quantity by a mortal would make one…a **god,**" Eve said.

"Oh god, he's gonna absorb the power of thousands of dark spirits. He's gonna become a god," Jack said paling. He'd heard of dark magic like that. But not on this kind of scale. It was similar in nature to Pitch absorbing the fear of others.

"But what about the others? What are their roles?" Rapunzel questioned.

"Gothel, dark magic user with the ability to absorb energy. Pitch, someone who knows how to use and absorb dark energy as well. Drago, someone who can make technology to do that. Combined with Mor'du, who has the arcane writings to make it possible…they're all gonna become gods," Hiccup said grimly.

"If they do manage to succeed…they'll be unstoppable," Jack said quietly.

Hiccup swallowed. They need a solution. "Eve, what can we do?"

"Druids theorized that portal could be sealed off forever by sword from the dark realm, in addition to sealing the sword inside it forever. Destruction of stones and ending of eclipse should close portal…however," Eve paused.

"Explain Eve," Hiccup commanded lightly.

"Opening of portal will release dark spirits upon world. Destruction and damage…immeasurable."

Everyone gulped nervously.

"Counter spell to call all spirits back to portal translated and completed," Eve piped in. Hiccup released a breath in relief. So they could call all the spirits back. "Only possible with possession of the sword," Eve added.

"Of course it is," Hiccup said rubbing his eyes. So it wasn't all hopeless. They just needed to stop their enemies before they absorbed enough spirits to make them invincible.

No pressure or anything.

"So what the plan partner?" Jack asked looking to Hiccup. Hiccup looked back and saw all eyes on him. He was the leader, he had to make the call.

"Well…I'm not gonna lie. Things are bad. Even I'm a little out of my element," he said chuckling weakly.

"Way to rally the troops Hiccup," Merida deadpanned.

"But," Hiccup said. He steeled his nerves and rose to full height. He looked into the eyes of his friends and let them see the fire in his. "I'm gonna go. I'm gonna stop them. No matter what it takes. We started something, the four of us, alone, we're powerful, but I think together," he paused to smile.

"I think we're unstoppable," he said, his voice firm and strong. Jack smiled and so did Merida.

"So I'm not gonna lie. We may go down. But I'd rather go down fighting," Hiccup said with conviction. He looked to them all to see what they thought.

"Pssh. I've already save the world like…seven times with the guardians. No biggie," Jack said nonchalantly as he looked at his nails.

"And I'm not letting you go anywhere without me. You need all the protection you can get," Merida said playfully. Hiccup shook his head and smiled. Looks like everyone was in.

"I can't go," came Rapunzel's voice. Everyone looked at her in shock.

"My powers aren't back to full strength. I'd be in the way. And with the eclipse I won't be able to recharge in time. I'd need at least a full day," she explained sorrowfully.

Hiccup tapped his chin in thought. He had an idea. It was a little dangerous. But it just might work.

"What you need is a jump start."

Rapunzel raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm not a car Hiccup."

"No, but I have something that I think will work. But first," he paused to look at Eve. "Eve, what's the status on the mark 11," he asked.

"Fully operational and tested," Eve informed him.

He smiled. "Good. Time for an upgrade," he said. Pushing passed his friends he made his way to the lab. Eve followed after him as did his friends and Toothless.

Inside his lab were lots of robotic parts and wall full of design schematics. But Hiccup walked with purpose as he stood on a platform in the center of the room.

"Eve," he said to the robot. Eve nodded before initiating the suit up sequence. Arms came out form the floor and the celling. He held his arms up at his sides as they began to build his armor on around him. When he was done he was standing in what looked like his regular armor. But his friend w=could note minor differences. There were spikes on his shoulders, two sets of spines running down his back, and on his chest, over his plasma core was a coiled up black dragon with a splash of red on its tail. His friends stared in wonder and in a brief instance lights running down his back lit up.

"Eve, get in here," Hiccup said tapping his helmet. Eve nodded before beaming herself into the armor. A small icon of her face appeared onto his display. "Eve, how are the micro cores?" he asked.

"Operating at full capacity. Adjusting output every .0000002 nanoseconds. Armor integrity 100 % and systems fully operational," Eve said.

"Good," Hiccup said smiling. This newer suit was more powerful than his last version. It had micro cores, tiny plasma cores that would supply it with more energy and firepower. With the micro cores running down his back his suit's strength was tripled, allowing him to lift at least 150 tons.

"Like the new suit Hiccup," Jack said impressed.

"Thanks. Been waiting to test it out. And I think you need to gear up to," he said pointing at his staff. Jack nodded before walking out of the room. Rapunzel and Merida watched him go before Hiccup went to a work bench. He came back to Merida holding something. A new quiver of arrow.

"For milady," he said smiling. Merida smiled back gratefully. She took the new arrow before he handed her something else. Two things. One looked like the hilt of a sword. And the other was a small circular disk with a loop for her arm.

"I call this Inferno. The blade of the sword can burn at very high temperature without weakening its integrity. It can cut through nearly anything. And that's a small kinetic energy barrier generator. I think you could use them," he explained.

Merida smiled excitedly before equipping herself. She slid the sword into a loop on her utility belt and strapped the small disk onto her arm. She felt ready to go already. She trusted in Hiccup's technology.

Finally Hiccup looked to Rapunzel. "All right Punz. This way."

Hiccup led them to a part of the base with gigantic metal doors. Tapping a small panel on the side he opened them. And inside Merida and Rapunzel could see what looked like huge solar lamps. They looked at Fury in question.

"Over the years I've tinkered with many projects. This is my sun chamber. I've been able to successfully generate artificial sunlight. I think we can use this to power you back up," he explained.

"You really had no other hobbies didn't you Hiccup?" Merida asked with a smirk.

"Well I don't know what else to do with my time," Hiccup said with a shrug.

"Ah can think of a few things," Merida said with a wink. Hiccup blushed underneath his helmet and sputtered in embarrassment.

"OH MAN! FINALLY!" Jack cried as he suddenly ran up to them. He threw an arm around Hiccup. "You finally got laid man. Hazzah! When this is all over I'm buying you a drink," he said excitedly. Hiccup pushed him away and rubbed his head in embarrassment.

The girls chuckled at knowing he was probably flushing like mad. Then they noticed Jack was holding a different cane than normal. It was about as long as his old one but the wood was a sleek polished black. And the hook at the top looked like a white crescent moon.

"This staff used to belong to Moon Man," Jack explained noticing their curious stares. "When I use it, it increases my power greatly," he elaborated. The situation required them to be at their strongest. He only ever brought it out on emergencies. Otherwise it was kept locked up in the main vault.

"So anyway Punz," Hiccup said getting back on track. "I think this will work. But the rays will be more intense than you're used to. It's going to be like you're right near the sun's surface," he explained.

Rapunzel gulped but nodded in determination. "I can take it," she said firmly. Hiccup studied her expression and nodded. Reaching onto the side of the panel he pulled out some dark shades. He offered them to her but she declined them.

"Won't need them," she said as she walked into the room. She stood in the center and gave Hiccup a nod that she was ready. Hiccup nodded back and sealed her inside. The door to the room whirred and sealed her in. They were powerful, able to take the force and heat from a nuclear explosion without a scratch.

"Alright Punz…here we go," Hiccup said as he activated the lamps.

They turned on and Rapunzel was suddenly surrounded by light. It blocked out everything and would have blinded or burned her if not for the magic inside of her. She felt her energy level starting to stir. They were rising, she was absorbing faster than normal….but it wasn't enough.

"Turn it up Hiccup!" she shouted.

Hiccup complied, increasing the insanity. Rapunzel felt it, she felt her reserves starting to fill. But she needed more.

"HIGHER! ALL THE WAY!" she shouted out.

Hiccup was hesitant, but Merida placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a firm look. "She can handle it," she said in total belief.

Hiccup relented, turning the intensity as high as it could go.

Rapunzel definitely felt that. Her energy levels shot back up. She felt the sun's power returning. Like molten gold running through her veins. She absorbed and absorbed, letting it fill her, letting every cell drink and pore n her body drink in its energy.

She felt her levels reach their norm. She was about to tell Hiccup to turn it off when she suddenly felt them go beyond what she thought had been her limit. She gasped as she felt it suddenly go and spread to a place she didn't know was there. Filling pools of untapped potential she'd never knew existed.

All this time she thought she was a glass half full. But in reality…there was ever only a few drops in the cup.

"Rapunzel…can you hear me?" came Hiccup's voice. She ignored it and closed her eyes.

"Punz…answer us," came Merida's voice.

"RAPUNZEL!" came Jack's.

Outside the door they were all getting worried. Rapunzel wasn't speaking to them. They didn't know if she was ok.

_~Flower gleam and glow~_

Suddenly came her voice. It was filled with warmth and strength.

_~Let __**my **__power shine~_

At that Hiccup turned it off. He was about to open the door when suddenly a thumping was heard from inside. He looked at them and saw and bump form on the surface.

"That's not possible," he whispered out. His friend watched in amazement as more bumps suddenly formed. Then a hand burst through the crack in the large door before they were pushed apart. They flew open with a screech, damaging the mechanisms that moved them.

"You know I could have opened them," Hiccup said in annoyance.

Merida went to stand in front of Limelight. She looked at her friend in concern. Her shoulders were heaving and she was taking deep breaths. Her eyes were glowing a bright gold and her very skin was radiating light. And her hair! She looked behind her to see it snaking its way around the room. It had to be at least eighty feet in length.

"Punz…are you ok?" Merida asked quietly.

Rapunzel stayed silent as she raised her hands up to examine.

"I feel…I feel…fantastic," she blurted out. Suddenly in a flash she was on the other side of the cavern. "Look at all this space! I could paint a mural here! I want to clean! I want to dance! Let's dance Merida! Let's exercise!" Rapunzel shouted out as she practically was bouncing off the walls. She kept zipping around the room in a golden flash as she ranted about what she wanted to do.

It was like watching a kid on a sugar rush.

As she stopped in front of Merida, Merida grabbed her shoulders and turned her to look in her eyes. "Punz, Ah think you should calm down," Merida said nervously.

"CALM! I'M CALM! I'M COMPLETLEY CALM!" Rapunzel shouted not controlling her volume.

"Uhm…maybe I should run a test," Hiccup offered.

"Test…I'll give you a test," Rapunzel suddenly blurred across the room while cocking back her fist. "BOOM!"

She punched the cavern wall with enough force to shake the entire mountain side. A huge crack formed on its surface.

"Come on guys, follow me. OUT OF MY WAY WALL!" Rapunzel said as she began punching her way through solid rock. She started punching a tunnel down it with a flurry of lightning fast fists.

Her friends exchanged a glance. Their looks said, _what have we done?_

"Good enough for me. Let's go before she collapsed the entire mountain on us," Hiccup said as he led the way out of the chamber.

"Punz, we're going!" Merida called back to her friend.

Rapunzel ran out of the tunnel and after them.

"MERIDA LOOK HOW CALM I AM! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

* * *

"Oooh shiny! It looks big! I wonder how fast it is?! Are we gonna fly in this?!" Rapunzel asked as she kept buzzing around the aircraft Hiccup was showing them.

"I give you the Timberjack," Hiccup said proudly.

Merida was impressed as she looked at the red aircraft similar in size to a private jet. But it huge wings were sharp, like blades. Rapunzel was right, it looked very fast.

"Can I get us to Scotland before the eclipse?" she asked.

"No. But it's our best shot. We'll have to beat them before they become too powerful," Hiccup said shrugging.

He turned to look back at Eve and Toothless. Toothless whined sadly. Hiccup smiled and knelt down to pet him. He scratched him under the chin lovingly.

"I'll be back bud. Count on it," he told the wolf. Toothless lolled his tongue and licked him on the helmet. Hiccup chuckled before standing up and looking to Eve. "Eve, defend the city. And be ready to feed me that spell" he told her. She nodded and gave him a salute.

With that Hiccup opened the hanger door to the Timberjack.

"C'MON!" Rapunzel shouted as she ran inside.

Hiccup rolled his eyes and sighed before making his way inside.

Merida looked around impressed. She saw four main seats, one for pilot and co-pilot and two behind them. Then there were two rows of seats with straps and buckles for more people.

"Shotgun," she said aloud.

"Damn it," Jack cursed. "I always get the back seat," he grumbled. Merida giggled at his expense before taking seat to Hiccup's left.

Rapunzel sat behind her tapping her foot impatiently as she waited for Hiccup to do a quick system's check and start the engines. The plasma core engines fired up and the hangar door opened. Hiccup activated the boosters and soon they shot forward. They flew out of the hangar that was on the side of the cliff face where Hiccup's house sat and Hiccup steered them toward Scotland.

They were all nervous. The fate of the world was in their hands. But they felt ready as they'd ever be.


	23. Chapter 23

**Heroes**

Mor'du stood, smiling and waiting in anticipation on the precipice of godhood. He had his sword back in his possession. It felt good to have it once more. Already he could feel the presence of the dark spirits. Soon he would open the gateway into their realm and take their power.

He looked up at the sky and watched as the moon slowly began to eclipse the sun. He remembered how close he'd come to this moment 1000 years ago. But he'd been stopped by one man. He remembered how that man came out of the sky on his black beast. Clad in his armor and with the princess beside him.

He subconsciously scanned the skies, almost expecting to see him. But of course the man would have long been dead.

His allies stood around him and waited. Gothel scanned the landscape around her in thought.

"Darling," she said aloud to get Drago's attention. Drago acknowledged her by leaning down to her ear.

"Yes my queen?"

"I want a castle with a view of a lake," Gothel said.

Drago smiled. He turned her around and caressed her face with his hand. He traced her check and admired her beauty. "Of course my queen. But why not a view of the whole ocean?" he offered.

Gothel smiled happily.

"And there will also be a temple devoted to your beauty. You'll be waited on by servants add handmaiden whenever you wish. You will wear the finest clothes, eat the finest foods, and live in absolute luxury. When we have our kingdom, you will undoubtedly and forever be the most beautiful woman in the world."

Gothel beamed giddily. She didn't care much for ruling a kingdom. Too much work. She'd let Drago do that. Instead she'd be content to living the life she'd always deserved. She'd be his queen and have all her desire's and wishes catered to for the rest of her life. And with the power of the dark spirits she'd be young and beautiful forever, just like she'd always wanted.

"Just stay on your side of the planet dragon man," Pitch said in disgust. Drago gave him a light glare before being pulled down for a deep kiss from Gothel. Pitch snorted and rolled his eyes. But he had to admit working with a team had been a fruitful decision. He still hated Drago. And he didn't care much for the others either. But he'd get the power he'd always wanted. He'd be the king of nightmares and fear.

"It's time," Mor'du said aloud. Everyone looked to see the moon fully eclipsing the sun. It moved in its path and became a black orb highlighted with a white ring. And then the standing stone all began to glow. The marking on them lit up in ancient Gaelic symbols and Mor'du walked to the very center.

Drawing his sword he raised it up high and waited, basking in the moment. Then he plunged it into the earth. Nothing happened at first. But then a crack started to from on either side of the blade. Then the crack widened and split the ground apart. Mor'du drew his sword and stepped back as the crack grew and the portal was opened.

He and his allies watched as a black cloud burst forth from the opening. Shooting up into the air. They could make out things, small black beings moving in the clouds. They scattered and flew in all directions. Looking to destroy and wreak havoc.

But some of them were immediately pulled from the others, drawn to Mor'du they simply melted into him, he devoured their dark energies, feeling it rush through his veins. The other stood by as Drago handed them a gauntlet, covered in ancient Gaelic marking similar to Mor'du and enchanted by Gothel. They were power syphoning devices combining science and magic to allow the other to absorb the spirits' energy.

And as soon as they put in on they gasped, they could immediately feel the dark energies filing them. Granting them power they'd though unobtainable.

"The stones," Mor'du growled out. They were placed before them. Passing his sword over them he chanted in an ancient tongue. The stones began to glow at his words, before from all of them a pillar of light shot out and into the sky. They hit the moon and sent a ripple of energy over it, halting its position in the sky.

"Take a stone. Split up, guard them. We have to keep the portal open," he commanded. Drago, Pitch, and Gothel each took one.

Drago stared out into the distance. He had a feeling Night Fury was on his way. He knew he was alive and had no doubt he and his allies were already thinking of a way to stop them.

* * *

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there YET?"

"NO RAPUNZEL! We'll get there when we get there!" Hiccup shouted back in annoyance at the impatient blonde.

Rapunzel groaned in utter boredom. There was nothing to do and she was going crazy. All the energy inside of her was practically screaming to be released.

"Ugh…I could fly faster than this thing," she said with a gusty sigh.

"Oh, I'm sorry Rapunzel, is a couple thousand miles an hour not fast enough for you?" Hiccup asked sarcastically.

Rapunzel snorted.

"Hiccup I have to pee," Jack piped in.

"Damn it Jack. I told you to go before we left," Hiccup growled out at him.

"Well I didn't have to go then," Jack replied with an indignant shrug.

"Well now you'll just have to hold it ye big baby," Merida said looking back at him with narrowed eyes.

Jack crossed his arms over his chest. "Thanks mom," he grumbled out.

Hiccup sighed. This was starting to feel like a very bad road trip.

Jack suddenly winced and hissed in pain. He grabbed his massaged his temple as he was hit by a wave of nausea.

"Jack, what wrong?" Rapunzel asked in concern.

"I don't know. But I think it's starting," Jack said grimly. He felt pain for second here. And he could have sworn he heard someone scream in his mind.

Everyone peered out the window to indeed see the moon fully eclipsing the sun. It had begun.

"Hiccup? Should we be doing this alone? Couldn't we use help, like the Guardians?" Merida asked.

"They're plan B. Jack talked to them. We have to contain the dark spirits as long as we can. As we speak they're moving into position and forming a perimeter to limit how many make it to the general population. They're buying us time. And should we fail, maybe they'll succeed," Hiccup replied. He'd also contacted the world governments and warned them of what was coming so they could evacuate their people.

The Guardians had brought the world back from the brink before, and hopefully they could do it again.

* * *

In the city of Arendale a woman with platinum blond hair sat in her office as she went over some proposals. She worked diligently to run the company she and her sister had been left by their parents. And then suddenly a chill ran up her spine. She blinked in surprise. She was…cold? That was impossible.

The cold never bothered her.

She turned around to look out her window. She saw the eclipse. But she sensed something. Something foul and dark. Something was coming. Undoing her hair she swept it back and began calling forth the storm inside of her. The air cooled around her as her magic began to change her outfit.

Then her doors burst open. Standing there was a young woman with strawberry blond hair and pigtails. She had a panicked expression on her face. "Elsa, do you feel that?"

"Yes Anna…I do. Something is coming," Elsa said keeping her eyes on the horizon. Her sister joined her at the window.

"What do we do?"

"We defend the city," Elsa said resolutely.

"Together?" Anna asked hopefully.

Her sister smiled and looked at her. "Together," she said with a nod.

Anna smiled and closed her eyes. A platinum blond streak appeared in her hair as she stoked the fires in her heart. She summoned them forth as they blazed round her. There was no one she'd rather be standing beside then her sister as they prepared for whatever was coming.

* * *

In a small rural town in France a young woman stood at the top of a building as she gazed at the sky. Something was giving her the willies. And when you're the daughter of Dracula and get the creeps you know something is up.

She kept her eyes on the sky. The eclipse…she could just feel the wrongness about it. She hoped her friends were ok. Jack and Hiccup were useless without her.

"Mavis…everything ok?" shouted her boyfriend from below. She'd been up there for quite a while without moving a muscle. He was getting a bit unnerved.

"Yeah…just go inside Johnny…I think things are gonna get a little crazy soon."

* * *

In Arch Aide city two men were watching the boxing match of the decade after a long hard day of work at their construction company. One was a shorter man while the other was a large man with a hulking figure. They shouted at the screen enthusiastically, each of them wanting the other to win.

Then suddenly the lights in the living room started to flicker. They went crazy and the TV itself went stacticky. Then in a flash a young girl appeared.

"Guys, take a look outside!" she said in panic.

"Kid, how many time have I told you not to do that? We're missing the match here," the bigger man said rolling his eyes. He grabbed the remote and turned it back on.

"No seriously guys you need to see this," the girl said as she ran to the window.

"It's just an eclipse kid. No big deal," the big man said rolling his eyes.

"Uh, Ralph. You might want to see this," said his partner. With a sigh he got up and came to the window. And that's when he saw an inky blackness spreading over the sky.

"Alright the pillow fights and snuggles time is over ladies," said the smaller man's wife as she came out of the kitchen. She was dressed in her old tactical battle gear. "Got a call from the NSA. We got something coming." She grabbed her blaster and pumped it.

"Hun. Bring me my hammer," the smaller man said as he kept his gaze out the window.

"What do you think it is Ralph?" the little girl asked the bigger man. He looked down at her to see her slightly afraid. Her eyes wide and full of uncertainty.

With a smile he patted her head. "I don't know kid. But whatever it is," he paused to pound a fist into his palm.

"I'm gonna wreck it."

* * *

"Understood, thank you Kobra," an older woman with an English accent said before hanging up her phone. She walked back to her table where her team was sitting. When she got there she frowned when she saw one of their team was missing.

"Meg, where's PH?"

Meg stopped eating her burger to look up at her. She only shrugged in reply.

"What's wrong Jane?" her friend Belle asked.

"I just received a call from Kobra. Apparently there's a high level disaster alert in affect. We're to defend the city," she explained.

Meg sighed and wiped her mouth. "Can't we get one day off."

The women paid the bill and walked outside. And right outside they saw their teammate staring up at the sky. They walked up beside her.

"What's the deal PH?" Meg asked in concern as she followed her gaze.

The Native American woman remained silent as she stared at the sky. Her shaman powers allowed her to feel the imbalance in the world. She could feel the dark spirits crossing into theirs.

"I feel an imbalance. Something bad is coming," she said grimly.

The women all looked into the horizon. Jane narrowed her eyes and took a breath. She hated dealing with magic forces. They were so unpredictable. She wished her husband was with her.

"Fantasia unit, move out."

* * *

Back in Berk Eve saw the sun eclipsed by the moon and watched the sky blacken. She knew the spirits were probably on their way. Behind her in the hangar of the main base were 30 neon orange drone aircrafts.

The Fireworms. She activated them, starting their ignition systems and synched herself to the queen. Metallic footsteps signaled the arrival of her other regiment. She summoned the Nadder, Gronckle, Nightmare, Thunderdrum, and Changewing battle armors beside her.

She was going to lead this metallic army into battle. She had been ordered to defend the city by her master. And that's just what she'd do.

"Eva," came a voice form beside her. Eve turned and was met with the concerned eyes of Wall-E. He knew she was going to fight. He wished he could join her. He raised his hand and extended t toward her.

Eve eyed him before doing the same. She curled her fingers around his and lowered her head. Touching her face screen to his head she let out a tiny electric spark. It was how they showed their affection. Then she stepped back and giggled at his dreamy sigh.

Then she turned. Narrowing her eyes she flew out towards the city. The battle suits and the drones flew behind her.

Eve was ready for battle.

* * *

As the team neared their destination a warning signal went off inside the cockpit. Hiccup pressed a button and the Timberjack's scanners and the sensors zoomed in on an approaching mass of blackness headed right for them.

"That's not good," Hiccup said slightly worried.

There must have been thousands of dark sprits heading straight at them. They would have to get passed them if they wanted to save the world. Hiccup activated the weapons and decreased altitude to just above the water.

"Jack," he said looked in back at his friend.

"On it," he said standing up. He came forward and narrowed his eyes. Pointing his cane forward he began to focus. The crescent moon on top of it began to glow as the winds outside began to stir.

The dark sprits took notice of the lives approaching them. Many split off to attack, fueled by anger and evil intent. They dived at the approaching vessel, but then many were blown away by powerful magic in the wind sent them flying in all direction.

Jack began to rotate his staff. He commanded the wins to spiral, twisting and forming other into a huge whirlwind that sucked in many of the dark sprits and destroyed them. Then he created ice shards out of the water in the air. He sent the flying in huge numbers at the dark sprits, ripping through them and utterly destroying their essences.

"Too easy," Jack said with a smile.

"Might wanna hold that thought," Hiccup said gulping nervously. Ahead of all the sprits passing over head were converging. Growing into a giant mass of inky blackness. And as more sprits joined, it started to expand. Then tendrils shot out at them.

"Shit," Hiccup cursed. He pulled up into a steep die and started spiraling and turning sharply to avoid the tendrils chasing after them. Jack clung to his seat with white knuckles. Hiccup had to pull up before retreating to safety.

But to everyone's horror the black mass began chasing after them.

"What do we do?" Merida asked in uncertainty.

Hiccup had no answer. He racked his brain for a solution. They needed to get passed all these spirits. But how? Suddenly the cabin light flashed, signaling the opening of the hatch. Everyone looked back to see Rapunzel standing before the opening. They were about to call out to her when she suddenly leapt out.

They stood there slack jawed before a booming was heard. They all turned and gaped as she sped at the mass of spirits.

Rapunzel couldn't help it. She was going nuts in there. But now, finally she could unleash the raging sun inside of her. Gathering her energies she broke the sound barrier as she shot forward. Her form began to glow as an aura of light surrounded her. And then like a bullet she ripped through the black mass. Leaving a huge gaping hole in.

Not finished she turned around and did it again. Over and over she ripped through the spirts. Leaving holes in the mass like Swiss cheese.

"My girlfriend is awesome," Jack said in amazement. The others nodded in agreement as they kept their eyes on their teammate.

Limelight shot into the air, the mass sending its tendrils after her. She twisted and veered to avoid before making a sharp U-turn and flying back at it. She was nothing but a golden streak in the sky as she sped at it.

Then she gathered energy into her palm. She let it build and build. Gaining power as her hand glowed brighter and brighter. Then she unleashed it. In one massive sun blast she fired at the black mass, completely destroying it.

She floated in the air and smiled proudly to herself.

"Nice work Punz," came Merida's voice from her ear piece.

"You rock babe," said Jack. She blushed a little and her smile grew wider.

"Excellent work Punz. Now come back to the Timberjack and…oh damn," Hiccup suddenly said. She raised an eyebrow but then looked ahead. And she saw what Hiccup had seen.

Coming straight in their direction was a huge mass of dark spirits. They looked like a large black blanket that blocked out the very sky. It was even more than the ones she'd just destroyed.

"Don't suppose you got another one of those in you Rapunzel?" Hiccup asked nervously.

She smiled. She had plenty left. Gathering her energies she shot downward and at the wave. She sped passed the Timberjack in a golden blur. The others watched, wondering what she had in mind. Meanwhile the mass of spirits was preparing to meet her. They started to spread out, trying to get at her from all sides and completely overwhelm her.

But she was planning on taking them out in one shot.

She gathered her energies into both her pals this time. She let build and grow. Her light lit up the darkness, her golden aura fought against it. The spirits began to close in on her. Ready to snuff her out.

With a wordless shout she slammed her palms together with all her might.

Her friends watched on. And for a brief second, night became day in the instant her palms met. They were all blinded by the intense light she generated. Then came the explosion. It was like flying into a nuclear blast. The Timberjack rattled and shook violently as Hiccup did his best to maintain control. Everyone gripped their arm rests with white knuckles as they waited for the shockwave to pass.

Then soon enough the ride smoothed out and the light faded. They all looked out to see the pathway clear. Millions of spirits wiped out in an instant.

A tapping on the glass caught their attention and they all turned to see Limelight there. She wore a proud smile and she gave the thumbs up sign. They smiled back before Hiccup opened the hatch, she drifted back before coming back inside. She took a seat in her chair and released a breath.

"Better," she said feeling less jittery. She still had plenty of power left. But she felt a little less stir crazy.

The other watched her with mixed feelings of awe and fear. If there was any question who was the most powerful of the team before, she'd just blown any doubt out of the water when she created a blast akin to a war head with her bare hands.

Shaking his head, Hiccup focused on flying them to Scotland as fast as he could.

"Hiccup, how much longer?" Merida asked.

"20 minutes."

"Good, I can't wait to punch Gothel in the face," Rapunzel said clenching her fist.

"Yeah, and I definitely want a shot at Pitch," Jack said narrowing his eyes in determination.

Hiccup thought about their upcoming battle. As thy got closer they could see the pillars of light shooting up into the sky and holding the moon where it was. They had to beat their enemies quickly, otherwise they'd become too powerful to stop.

"Actually guys I was thinking," Hiccup said aloud. Everyone turned their attention to him and he put the Timberjack on autopilot to turn in his chair to look at them.

"We need a plan. We need to beat them quickly. But the problem is that they know us. All they have to do is stall for time," Hiccup began.

The others thought about it and were in agreement.

"They know how to get in our heads. How to keep the fight going as long as possible. They know what to say and do to rattle us."

"So what do ye have in mind Hiccup?" Merida asked raising an eyebrow.

"Hiccup took off his helmet to look at her. He smiled mischievously. "Let's do something crazy."

* * *

"Sound good?" Hiccup asked looking to the team. There were smiles all around as they nodded in agreement. "Good. Then let's get ready," he said firmly. Everyone nodded as they waited for them to hit land.

Merida sat beside Hiccup, feeling a little nervous at what they were about to do. Suddenly she felt a hand on her own. She looked down to see Hiccup's hand on hers. When she looked up she saw him looking at her with affection.

"Merida. I just want to let you know…well…if we don't make it…I."

"Oh be quiet Hiccup," Merida said rolling her eyes. Before he could open his mouth she leaned over and planted a kiss on his lips. She pulled away and giggled at his crooked grin.

"Whatever you have to tell me, you can tell me over dinner after this is over. At that Italian restaurant thank you."

Hiccup chuckled and shook his head at her confidence. He could tell she was nervous. But she hid it well. He decided to leave it for alter. It would give him one more reason to live.

"By the way Mer," he piped in. She looked at him and motioned with her head to go on. "I had Eve give your bike some upgrades while we were in Scotland," Hiccup said smiling. Merida beamed excitedly as Hiccup pressed a few button. The floor to the Timberjack suddenly opened to reveal a secret compartment.

And on a platform rising form the ground was her bike. She walked over to it and looked at it in wonder. She smiled excitedly.

"Hiccup when this is over…oh when this is over," Merida purred.

Hiccup blushed. Feeling more ready than ever to fight and win. His friends around him all felt ready. They would do this.

They would save the world.

* * *

Drago waited in the middle of a small clearing in the forest. He stood in front of the lodestone and scanned the skies for Fury. He knew he'd be coming. And he was eager to finally end his rival's life. Around him were Drago bots, their scanners all locked on the sky for any sign of his opponent.

While he waited he could feel the power flowing into him. It was mixing with his very DNA. Making it stronger. He could feel the beast in him thrashing, roaring, and just waiting to be released. And he was anxious to let it out.

Suddenly one of the Drago bots looked up as its scanners locked onto something. He looked up in time to see a golden flash shoot out of the sky and crash into the ground. The area shook at the force of its impact and scattered dirt and debris everywhere.

He waved his hand to get a view of it. And his eyes widened in surprise.

"You?" he shouted out.

Limelight rose from her crouched position with a smile. Her eyes and hair glowing with power. Her smile radiating confidence.

"Hey big guy. Wanna go a couple rounds with me?"

* * *

Pitch stood in a meadow guarding his stone. He had his eyes closed as he reveled in the strength he was obtaining. Beside him his army of nightmares was growing. Strengthened by the fear of the people in the world. He smiled, waiting for Frost to come. Waiting for the tell-tale cold breeze to signal the arrival of his greatest enemy.

But instead he heard the faint hum of an engine. He opened his eyes in surprise and looked into the distance to see the single light of a motorcycle coming from the tree line.

Then in a dark green blur Archer burst forth on her bike. Her cloak billowed and flapped in the wind as she revved her bike and drove straight at him.

Pitch overcame his shock before sending his nightmare at her. Twenty of them charged, rearing up, teeth gnashing together.

Archer smiled underneath her helmet. The targeting systems inside of it locked on and she activated the plasma blasters on her bike. Bolts of purple plasma fired at the nightmare, destroying them with deadly accuracy. Pitch growled in annoyance before sending more at her.

Archer weaved through the advancing nightmares and at him. Taking aim she fired, Pitch summoned a wall of black sand to block before his sent his nightmare to enclose her from all side. As it looked like he had her Archer activated another weapon. Missiles fired from the nooks and crannies of her bike and destroyed them all.

With a yelp Pitch grabbed the stone and jumped to the side and out of the way as she came veering passed him. He crouched low and glared at her as she spun in a circle to face him.

Archer smiled underneath her helmet. Rearing to go.

"Who's afraid of the boogeyman? Not me."

* * *

Gothel stood on top of the nearby loch using her magic. She looked at her skin and was delighted to see the wrinkles all but gone. Like she'd hoped the energy the dark spirits provided would forever keep her looking young and beautiful.

Now all she need was to take care of one last annoyance. She was gonna drain every last drop of Limelight's life force. And then she'd snap her neck for good measure. The very thought made her smile.

Suddenly a shiver ran up her spine. She glanced down to see the entire lake beginning to freeze over.

"Thought I'd even the playing field hag," came a voice. Gothel's head shot up and she looked to see Frost walking toward her. His staff casually slung over his shoulder as the water froze with every step.

"I got to say, you're kind of hot for a bazillion year old crazy witch," he said with a mocking smirk.

Gothel frowned at him. She'd been hoping for Limelight. But still, killing this hero wouldn't be all that bad. With a snap of her fingers two columns of dust appeared. And from them emerged Jasper and Horace, clad in battle armor and ready to go. She raised an eyebrow at Frost and smirked back.

But with a chuckle he waved his hand. And in the next instant two ice disks clattered to the icy surface in front of him.

"Game on."

* * *

Mor'du stood near the standing stones as he continued to absorb the spirits' energies. He could feel them increasing his already great strength. Soon he'd be invincible. Soon he'd be a god. He occasionally would scan the area, looking out for Archer.

He knew she'd come to face him. And he'd defeat her and make her his bride. For she was the only one worthy of him.

Suddenly a purple flash descend from the sky. Acting quickly Mor'du slashed at it with his axe, causing it to explode. He looked up and gasped.

"It can't be," he said, his voice actually cracking.

He could make out something in the skies above him. Barley distinguishable. But black and with dark wings. But that was impossible. He'd long be dead by now.

Soon the thing descended. And as it got closer he could tell it was a man. He narrowed his eyes and growled when Night Fury dropped out of the sky. He landed in a crouch before deactivating his wings. Then he looked up. Mor'du glared as Fury rose to full height.

"Mor'du. I've come to stop you," Fury said firmly.

Mor'du's mind flashed back again. That man had said the same things a thousand years ago. He scanned Fury, and was shocked to see the uncanny resemblance to the man he'd faced that day.

He black armor, the helmet. Could it be truly coincidence? Or could the gods have…

He shook his head. It didn't matter. He wouldn't be stopped by some whelp.

"Then you've come in vain Fury. No one can stop me," Mor'du shot back.

Fury raised an arm up before he activated the blade on it. It sprang from his gauntlet and glowed red hot.

"Let's see about that."

* * *

**Elsa: Ice Queen**

**Anna: Firestar**

**Mavis is Jack and Hiccup's old partner. Her history as hero will be explained in a later story along with why she left the team. and her superhero name. **

**So i will leave to a vote on the next story in this Superhero AU i've created. Its either an origin story for how Anna got her powere fetauring the Fantasia unit or sequel to this story which will have Mavis come back for a brief team up. **

**Ralph & Felix, superhero names still pending. Open to suggestions and powers. **

**Vanellope: Glitch**

**Fantasia Unit. Special ops of the NSA. National Supers Agency**

**Jane Porter: leader**

**Belle: Tech expert**

**Megura(Meg): Weapons expert **

**PH(Pocohantas): Shaman and magic expert.**

**Open to suggestions for additional members (all female)**

**If you'd like to see more characters make a cameo review and tell me their city and superhero name and i may add them if i like them.**


	24. Chapter 24

**Dragon Slayer**

Drago immediately ordered his Dargo bots to destroy Limelight. They flew at her, weapons armed and firing at her. But Limelight just stood there as their bullets bounced harmlessly off of her skin. She didn't even feel them. Her power boost had greatly increased her invulnerability.

As soon as the closet one came within swinging distance she cocked back her fist before ramming it through its chest. Her arm came out the other side as it sparked and spasmed from the damage. Limelight smiled before she put her other hand through and ripped it in half. It exploded point blank.

Drago's view was obstructed by the smoke from the explosion. But slowly a bright gold light shined though the veil. When it cleared Limelight stood there unscathed. She simply raised a hand up to brush some ash off her shoulder.

The other Drago bots didn't last long against her. She batted them aside with her hand. Punch holes straight though their armor. Blasted them to bits.

She utterly obliterated them. Only when they were all bits of useless scrap metal on the ground did she turn her attention to Drago.

Drago glared at her and growled. He bared his teeth at her, revealing sharp beastlike fangs. His eyes were reptilian slits, and focused on her. But Limelight didn't shrink under his gaze. Only held her confident smile.

Drago was about to step forward to engage her when in a yellow flash she was in front of him. Before he could react she backhanded him with her right hand across the face. Drago was spun by the force of her blow. And in utter surprise he found his jaw had nearly been broken. He tasted blood in his mouth as his head rang.

He turned around to fight back when suddenly he was yanked down by his beard. Then he was punched in the gut, hard. He cried out as he was released and had to swallow to keep the contents of his stomach down. He could hardly believe how hard she'd hit him. Not even Fury had ever hit him so hard.

"Your daughter would be so disappointed in you Drago," Limelight said aloud.

Drago stiffened in surprise before turning to her with a cold glare. "What?" he growled out.

"She'd be scared, terrified of you. Her father, the man who hated weapons. Look at how low you've fallen," Limelight said to taunt him.

The team had all exchanged tips to getting into their opponents heads. After all, fighting them for so many years had led them to learning how to mess with them as well. She wanted him to get angry. It would make him sloppy and easier to beat.

"I learned that you needed weapons to create peace. That's why I made them. So I could become the god of this world. So I can save it," Drago snarled with conviction. He pointed the end of his pike at her and fired an energy blast.

Limelight raised her hand up and blocked it. Her hand was undamaged as the blast was swatted away like a paper ball.

"Save it? Look at what you're doing. Does this look like saving to you?" she asked pointing up at the sky.

"What would you know _hero_?" he shouted, spitting the last word. "You think you save the world. You don't do anything."

Limelight narrowed he eyes before blurring over to him and punching him in the stomach again. Even with the breath knocked out of him Drago swung at her with his pike. Limelight caught the pike with her hand. With a tug she spun him around and kicked Drago in the chest, he lost his grip and went rolling away. Limelight raised the pike up before bringing it down on her knee, breaking it in half and then throwing it aside.

She looked back up at Drago and cocked her head to the side. He was changing. His arm was getting more reptile like. Covered in scales and growing talons. And the scales seemed to be spreading to the other parts of his body. She guessed it must have been the influence of the dark spirits.

Drago stood up and roared at Limelight. She blurred over to him again but he was ready. He dodged a swing before he swung back. She ducked and blasted him in the chest. He was pushed back slightly but stayed on his feet. Cocking back his robotic arm he swung at her with all his strength.

But even with his enhanced power his fist bent inward as he struck her. She hadn't even budged. Hadn't even taken damage. Drago looked at his fist, it was useless. The metal was warped and bent and it was sparking.

But in his distraction Limelight grabbed him by the front of his clothing before flipping him over and onto his back. Then she kicked him in the side, forcing him to roll over onto his stomach. He winced in pain as he felt his ribs get bruised. But before he could react Limelight grabbed and yanked his robotic arm back.

Raising a foot up, Limelight brought it down onto the robotic arm. Stomping right through the armor before ripping it off just below shoulder. Drago managed to squirm free with his arm gone and rolled away. He leapt to his feet and turned to face her only to be met with a slap across the face.

By his own robotic hand.

He was forced back as Limelight swung his own arm at him like bludgeon. His head rang from the metallic blows. Finally when they stopped he was yanked down by the front of his clothing. He opened his eyes and stared directly into Limelight's.

Floating a little off the ground she picked Drago up and clenched her free hand. She formed it into a fist before swinging upward, catching him in the chin and sending him flying into the air. She shot up after him. Rising to his level she wrapped her hair tightly around him and grabbed it in both hands.

Then she started to rotate. She spun in a full circles, going faster and faster until she was just a blur. Then she unwrapped her hair and sent him flying below and into the forest.

She heard Drago hit the ground with a loud crash before everything went silent. She smiled to herself. That had been too easy in her opinion. Descending she touched down and walked to the stone.

"Fury, Drago is down. Stone is secure, standing by. Going to restrain—," her relaying of the situation was cut off as a loud roar was suddenly heard from the trees. She looked in the direction it had come from and suddenly noticed trees falling over.

It was as if something large was moving toward her. And it was definitely large by the way the way she could feel the ground shake. She watched and waited for whatever it was to emerge.

And finally from the tree line came Drago. Or what used to be him.

The dark spirits had caused him to mutate further. They forced his DNA into an unstable and primal state. Turning him into…this.

He looked like a dragon. He was huge, the size of a two story house and at least 100 feet long by her estimation. His scales were dark, looking dirty and he had to massive tusks on either side of his face. His face and head were covered in frills that resembled his dread locks. And running down his back, sides, and tail were fins and spines resembling wings. What was more shocking is that his missing arm had grown back into a large dragon arm and claw.

Drago looked at her with his reptilian slits. And there wasn't a trace of humanity left in them. Just a pure raging monster. He took a deep breath before roaring at Limelight. And his bellow sent the air vibrating. She could feel the power coming off of him.

When he was finished he glared at her.

Normally Limelight would be worried. Hell, she'd probably be the least bit nervous. But all she felt was excitement.

Finally a real challenge.

"Nix that Fury. I'm gonna have to call you back," she said dropping her arm and turning to fully face him.

Drago growled at her, his teeth bared and his long tail thrashing back and forth.

"C'MON THEN WIDELOAD! I AM PUMPED!" Limelight shouted. She just felt too powerful to be afraid. She wanted to fight with everything she had.

She pounded a fist into her palm. The force of which created a shockwave and boomed like thunder. She glared into Drago's eyes with strength and conviction.

"Let's wrestle."

With a roar Drago charged her. His footsteps shook the ground as he lowered his tusks to run her through. With a shout Limelight charged to meet him. She blurred and closed the distance in only an instant. And then they met.

Limelight grabbed Drago's tusks in both hands and they halted each other's charge. It was a battle of strength as they attempted to push the other back. Drago growled down at her and shook his head to try and throw her off. But Limelight held on tight, not giving him the mobility.

Drago narrowed his eyes before he began to push forward with all his strength. And he managed to push her back a little. Gritting her teeth Limelight planted her feet into the ground to try and stop herself from being pushed back.

But Drago was strong. Slowly she was losing ground as her feet slid through the grass. She actually saw what looked like a smug smirk from Drago.

She narrowed her eyes and drew more power from within herself. Her hair got brighter and flashed as she felt more energy surge through her veins. Pushing her feet into the ground she stopped. Drago growled before trying to push her back some more.

But she wasn't budging this time. Then she placed one foot in front of the other and took a step forward. Drago dug his claws into the ground to stop himself from being pushed back. But slowly but surely he was being driven back by the heroine. She kept pushing him back, her strength superior to his own.

Then she lifted his face up before she slammed him to the ground on his side. Drago roared in frustration as he tried to get his hulking body back up. When he did manage he was met with a powerful right hook. Then a left and then a right again. Every punch forced him back as Limelight's blows collided with the force of a cannon.

Growing frustrated Drago reared up onto his hind legs. With snarl he then came down, trying to crush her under a massive paw. But Limelight simply leapt back and avoided it. She was about to attack when suddenly she was blinded by ice in her face. Drago had shot an icy spray at her to blind her.

Then turning, he lashed at her with his tail. He struck her in the chest. The force of his attack sent her flying back and she crashed through a few trees before stopping. She hit the last tree before sinking to the ground. But she got her feet under her and stood.

She winced a little. Drago actually managed to hurt her. But it was minor. She looked up to see Drago charging, his tusks and head down, coming at her like a freight train.

Limelight reacted quickly, reaching over her head and behind her she placed both her hands on the sides of the tree and squeezed. Then with a grunt she ripped it out of the ground. Roots and all. As Drago came she swung at him. Catching him across the face.

The branches scratched and the trunk of the tree knocked his head to the side and stopped his charge. The she stuck him on the other side. Then she raised it above her head and brought it down on his. She slammed him to the ground before tossing the tree aside and stomping toward him.

Drago took a deep breath. Filling his giant lungs with air before he breathed ice at her with a roar. He spray of ice blanket the ground, turning the area into an icy tundra. Limelight was caught. She was frozen solid, covering in ice form head to toe.

Drago looked to see the glow coming from her hair die down. He raised his head and bellowed to the sky. Believing he'd just won. He'd beaten the hero.

But then the glow returned. Gold light started to shine from the ice. It got brighter and brighter until a golden pulse broke it. It shattered into icy shards that flew everywhere. Drago growled in annoyance as he saw Limelight standing there. Unharmed. Had it been any other being, they surely would have died. For nothing should have been able to survive a blast form his liquid nitrogen like breath.

"I hate being frozen," Limelight said in annoyance. Drago was about to blast her again when she raised a hand up and pointed a finger at him. Gathering her energy into it she fired at him.

Though small it was incredibly powerful. In an explosion she blasted off his left tusk in one shot. Drago howled in pain and shook his head violently.

Shaking it off her looked back to where Limelight was only to find her gone. A shout fromm above caught his attention and he looked up to see Limelight diving at him. Her fists were raised above her head as she came at him like missile. When she collided with him she brought her fists down onto his head, slamming his face into the dirt.

Drago nearly passed out. He had to blink and shake his head to focus and stop the world from spinning. Then she scanned for Limelight. He growled when he didn't find her. He roared, challenging her to show herself. And then his eyes widened when he felt something pushing up against his stomach.

With a howl of surprise he was suddenly lifted into the air by Limelight. She flew straight up, carrying him into the sky.

"This is for Archer!" she shouted as she threw him to the ground. She watched as Drago's eyes were wide in fear as he flailed his limbs about uselessly as he fell.

Drago crashed into the ground on his back. His impact created a crater and scattered dirt and debris everywhere. He groaned in pain. He realized then he was no match for the heroine. He rolled onto his front legs and tried to push himself to his feet but collapsed. His limbs were like jelly and his head was throbbing and ringing.

Suddenly he felt a jerk from his tail. He looked back to see Limelight grabbing it with both hands and tugging on it. He tried to pull it free from her grasp but she dug her heels into the ground and held tight. Then she pulled. He dug his claws into the ground but was soon swung off his feet. And then in a full circle.

"This is for Fury!" Limelight shouted as she swung Drago around like a rag doll. Drago screeched as the world started to become blurry. As he was spun his head crashed through trees, they splintered and scratched at him as the hero got faster and faster.

"Hell yeah!"

With a final cry Limelight swung Drago over her shoulder and into the ground. Dirt flew everywhere with his impact, temporarily blinding her. But then she stepped forward. When she could get a clear view of him she smiled.

His eyes were closed and with a last groan of pain Drago blacked out. With a proud smile Limelight reached into her pocket and threw down a small metallic disk. It landed on him before it activated. Encasing him in an energy field. Each of the team had been given one by Fury. It was a special containment device he'd received from North of the Guardians.

They could trap the victim in an in energy field that could even cut off their magic. It also meant it could cut off their connection to the dark spirits.

"Fury, Drago is down for good this time," she said speaking aloud and pressing down on her earpiece.

"Excellent work Limelight. Standby and secure stone. Wait for the signal," Fury said from his end.

"Understood," Limelight said with a nod.

Limelight walked over to the stone and waited. She stood in front of it, keeping on the lookout for anything.

She looked at the sky and said a prayer for her friends. She hoped they could beat the others.

She shook her head. Of course they would

They would succeed.

* * *

**New chapter. Hope it was good. Go Rapunzel**


	25. Chapter 25

**Battle against the Darkness**

In the city of Arendale a young man ran with a young boy in his arms. His destination was the huge ice castle created by the heroine Ice Queen to protect the citizens from the dark spirits. In the center of the city all citizen were heading there. The young man was tall, blonde, and very muscular. He ran as fast as he could.

But he had to skid to a stop when suddenly an inky mass landed in front of him. Dark as a shadow and with yellow ominous eyes it moved eerily along the ground as it watched him. The young man cursed and held the child against his chest. He tried to move right, but the spirit mimicked him. He tied left, but it did the same. It was intent on not letting him go.

"HEY UGLY!" suddenly came a shout from above. The spirit looked up before being hit with a crimson fireball. It gave a howling screech as its body was burned and scorched into oblivion.

The young man released a sigh in relief before looking up. And descending from the sky was the other hero of the Arendale, and his girlfriend, Firestar. She landed in front of him and looked him over.

"You ok?" she asked in concern.

"Yeah, I'm good," he said with a nod. She smiled as she took a step forward.

"You're so brave," she said batting her eyes at him flirtatiously.

"You're not so bad yourself hot stuff," he joked back. She giggled. She stepped forward and was about to rise on her toes to kiss him when suddenly a rush of icy wind blew passed them. They looked up to see ice shards rip through spirits that had been advancing on them.

"Focus Firestar!" came the shout of Ice Queen as she skated above their head while battling the spirits.

"RIGHT SORRY!" she shouted up to her. "Gotta go babe," she whispered as she gave him a quick peck on the lips. Gathering her powers she shot into the sky and after her partner.

Kristoff watched her go with a smile. Considering himself the luckiest man in the world. Then he turned and ran to the ice palace. When he got there he was allowed entry by the snow monster guard protecting the citizens inside.

Once safe inside he glanced out to see the crimson streak shooting across the city, blasting fireballs at the dark forces trying to destroy it.

"Good luck Anna," he whispered.

Above the buildings Firestar kept the spirits at bay with waves and waves of her crimson flames. She burned at them with her fury, destroying them in an instant. But their numbers seemed endless.

"They just keep coming. What do we do?" she asked her partner.

"Keep fighting!" Ice Queen shouted back. Calling forth the storm inside of her she summoned the winds. Soon a blizzard started to form, freezing and sending the spirits tumbling and flying madly in its maelstrom.

It would help keep them back. But it wouldn't hold them all off forever.

But it didn't matter. They wouldn't give up.

* * *

In Opar city an old woman shrieked in terror as she was being carried across rooftops at blinding speeds by her agile and strong savior. In a leather jacket, brown pants, boots, and a spear across his back was Ghost Ape. Hero of Opar city.

And right now he was carrying her to safety and away from the dark spirits. His animal instincts told him they were danger. That running was the only option. So he did what he could to help protect the people.

Luckily, he wasn't alone.

In a golden flash an arc of light flew passed him and sliced the spirit in half. He looked back to see more arcs flying passed him and destroying countless spirits.

"Get the woman to safety Ghost Ape," came the voice on his ally. He turned to see a blond man in shining golden armor and a blue cape.

With a nod he ran passed him, getting the woman to the safe house warded by his ally's magic.

Paladin looked into the sky as he held his holy sword at the ready. Prepared to vanquish more spirits. The NSA had dispatched him here to help Ghost Ape since he was unable to destroy the spirits himself.

The spirits suddenly turned their attention to him. They swarmed him. But he simply raised his shining sword up. With a downward swing he struck the ground and sent out a burst of holy light, destroying them in one foul swoop.

He allowed himself only momentary pride as he prepared to safe the countless hoards still coming at him.

* * *

Doing the best they could, the Fantasia unit defended the city they were in with all they had. Setting up a barricade they shot at the spirits while their shaman teammate was preparing her spell. She stood behind them with her eyes closed as she chanted in her ancient tongue.

"How's the spell coming PH?" Jane shouted. PH didn't answer as she kept chanting.

"Captain, I hope you got a plan, cuz I'm just wasting bullets here," Meg said as she replaced the clip in her machine gun.

Their bullets just temporarily disrupted the spirits. Slowed them down, but they need to destroy them.

"Backup is on its way Meg. Just keep shooting!" Jane shouted as she replaced the magazine in her gun. "Belle, what's the ETA on our backup?"

Belle hung up her phone as she peaked over a car and shot at n advancing spirits. "They're almost here!" and sure enough a jeep suddenly drove through the mass of spirits. It droved passed their barricade and out stepped a woman with a tanned complexion and long raven curls. From the passenger seat came a woman with long red hair.

"About time Esmerelda," Jane said running up to her. "Did you bring them?" she asked her teammate.

"Yes captain," Esmerelda said with a nod as she opened up the hatch to the jeep. In the back were many crated of ammo.

"Look out!" screamed the red head. She knocked the two of them aside as a dark sprit broke through and lashed out at them. It shot out a black tendril and pierced her through the heart.

Jane reacted quickly. She got up and quickly replaced her magazine with a new one Esmerelda had brought. Taking aim, she fired. Her bullet ripped through the spirit and destroyed it.

"Excellent work Es," she said to her teammate.

Esmerelda smiled proudly. While she may not be as magically gifted as PH, her protection charms and enchantments were top notch. The bullets were enchanted with magic to destroy the spirts. Grabbing a few clips she shouted to Meg and tossed her a few.

Then she turned her attention to her impaled teammate. She looked at her motionless form. "You ok Sally?" she asked.

Sally remained motionless before blinking a few times. And then with a groan she sat up. "Yeah. That was just unpleasant," she said with a shudder. Being a zombie had its perks.

Suddenly a white light caught their attention and they turned to see PH surrounded by an aura of light. Her eyes glowed white as she prepared to exorcise the thousands of spirits.

"Simba, come forth," she commanded as she summoned her contracted spirits to aid her. In an instant a silhouette of a golden lion with a fiery red mane appeared at her side. She thrust her hand forward as it roared.

He power shout outward in a wave of white light. The dark spirits were sent flying back as they were banished to the netherworld. In an instant the sky was clear…for now.

PH dropped to a knee in exhaustion. Having to exorcise all those spirits at once was very taxing on her. Even as the most powerful shaman in the world.

"You good PH?" Meg asked in concern.

"I'll…be…ok," she said between ragged breaths.

"Take a break PH. With our new ammo we can hold them off," Jane said as she looked at the sky. She could see the inky blackness coming again.

This was far from over.

* * *

In the Atlantic Ocean admiral Eric of the battleship S.S. Poseidon shouted orders to his men. They'd been informed by the government on what was happening and he was doing the best he could to keep the spirits from reaching the land. Unfortunately even with their weapons, they weren't enough. No ordinary weapon by man could hold them off.

"Admiral, look there," shouted one of his men. Eric looked into the waters and smiled as he saw the ebb and glow from beneath the surface. Then the water began to swirl into a whirlpool. It grew stronger and stronger as the person controlling it prepared her magic.

Then from the water a huge spiraling vortex of water suddenly shot up. It rose into the sky and at the top of it, with the vortex spiraling around their lower body was Sea Knight. Heroine of the deep and defender of the ocean.

She called forth the power of the sea and made huge waves of charged magic wash the sprits away. Summoning more water she wrapped some around her arms. Then she split them into smaller section, like the tentacles of an octopus she whipped at the spirts trying to get passed her. And made a huge wall of water to stop those that did.

Though not a human herself she love the human world. For in it was her love. And as long as she lived she would defend the humans with all her might.

* * *

In Arch Aide city a young couple was about to be pounced on by several dark spirits. They been running hand in hand, trying to get way and to safety when they'd fallen in their panic. Defenseless all they could do was watch in terror as they were about to be killed.

But then bolts of electricity ripped through the sprits. They shrieked and their energies were dispersed. The couple looked bewildered as suddenly in a flash a young girl appeared in front of them in a mask. She floated in the air as electricity sparked and arched around her.

"Get to safety. Go!" she shouted. They nodded before getting up and running. Glitch let them go. Turning into electricity she shot into a power line before making her way across the city. As the fastest of her team she had to cover the most ground and defend the most people.

Meanwhile sprits were being blasted by Calhoun as she stood in a street and shot at them. Drawing them to her to give the civilians the time to run. A small hoard tried to overwhelm her as they barreled down on her. But from the side came a spinning golden hammer, fling through the air it ripped through them, destroying them before making a large arc and fling back to its wielder.

"You ok hun?" Fixit asked as he caught his hammer.

"Fine darling. Now keep throwing that thing. It seems to work very well," she shouted to him as she kept firing.

Fixit nodded before taking aim. As a wave came at him his partner suddenly crashed into he ground in front of him. Bringing his hands up to his sides he slammed his palms together, blowing the spirits away with a shockwave.

"I can't hit these things. What the hell do I do?" he shouted in frustration.

"Iron work well on ghosts," Calhoun shouted.

Coming up with an idea Wreckit ran to a nearby tool shop. Rummaging though it he grabbed a length of long chain. He snapped it in half with a small tug and wrapped them around his huge arms.

Coming out of the shop a spirit shirked before flying at him. With shout he swung at it. It screeched as the iron disrupted it, actually managing to damage it.

"Now we're talking."

* * *

In a small rural town in France the townspeople were huddles inside their local church as a young woman dressed in black was battling against some dark unholy forces.

Mavis leapt and lunged over the spirits s she stabbed at them with her iron fire poker. She knew a thing or two about ghosts and this was the best she could do. The church was the only safe place for the citizens as she fought to keep them at bay.

She suddenly cried out as she was pierced through the shoulder.

"MAVIS!" her boyfriend shouted n worry. He was about to run out to her when she looked at him with glowing blue eyes.

"STAY BACK JOHNNY!" she commanded harshly. While she loved him, he wasn't immortal. With a snarl she leapt back, freeing herself form the spirit and threw the fire poker at it. It pierced a hole in it and it screeched in pain.

Raising her arms up she used her telekinesis to shift and rip the iron fencing around the church out of the ground. With a wave of her arms she sent the metal spike flying at the spirits.

She may not be a superhero anymore, but that didn't mean she would stand by and let the innocent die.

Not if she could stop it.

* * *

In Hong Kong china a wave of spirits was about to attack a young group of children. But before they could get to them a large figure stepped in front of them.

"Golden Lotus Clap," the figure shouted as he slammed his palms together and sent forth a golden burst of energy. The spirts were destroyed in an instant.

"Excellent work, Dragon Warrior," said a young woman in a Chinese quipao with golden vine designs and black pants. Her arms were covered in black tattoos and her eyes were yellow and orange like a cat's.

"Heh, thank you master tigress, I do my best," the man said with a proud smirk.

"Did you remember to close your eyes?"

"…I did not," he said as he was blinded by his own technique.

Tigress rolled her eyes before looking around for Master Shifu.

* * *

**Ok. So more cameos and a little break from the main team. **

**So:**

**Ghost Ape: Tarzan**

**Paladin: Pheobus(hunchback of notre dame)**

**Sea Knight: Ariel**

**Fantasia units additinal members. **

**Esmerelda: Infiltration and undervover specialist and charm caster/ enchanter. **

**Codname: Gypsy**

**Sally: Support**

**Codename: Ragdoll**

**Furious Five exists, but are humans with enhed chi abilties of animals. **

**PH: has several animal sprits bound to her. Simba, the Great Prince of the Forest, A stallion, and powerful sprits that she rarley summons due to his _monstro_us appetite**

**Expecting more cameos. Name city and may a biref descrip of powers.**


	26. Chapter 26

**Author Notes**

Sorry guys, no new chapter just yet. I just want to respond to some suggestions in the reviews.

* * *

**Dlh024:** Keiko is just a random chick. No one from the Big Hero Six.

They will not make an appearance in this story as I haven't seen it and don't know fully what they are capable of. They might meet them in a later story as I intend to continue writing more stories for this AU in which they meet other animated characters and team up.

I HATE THE ONCE-LER! Don't ask me why. I simply do. I feel he fails as a hero and is unworthy of standing among the Big Four. Wikisorcerer proposed an interesting idea for him that I might follow through with.

Hiccup will not give everyone armor, as that is his thing. Kind of like Iron man and the Avengers. It would also be a little too Big Hero sixish. And besides, do you think Rapunzel needs it? She's already super strong and indestructible. And he wouldn't trust Jack not to do something stupid with it. Merida…maybe.

Also, sorry I didn't explain Mavis' story. But this is not her story. It focuses on the big four and thus she has no room to play an important role. She will appear in the sequel to this one in which she will team up with the team and her history as a hero will be explained.

* * *

**Aztec 13**: I made the Furious 5 human because in their world being a talking animal is normal, thus they essentially are human. If Mr. Peabody appears, and I haven't decided that he will, he will be a talking dog. And then there's also the fact that he isn't neccessarily a hero per say. He travels around time just teaching Sherman. And I refuse to make a doctor who like character. I REFUSE!

Secondly, it is impossible for Tarzan to be Anna and Elsa's brother. I've heard the theory, it's impossible. Unless of course their parents sailed through a wormhole.

* * *

**Skyline 10:** I like the idea of Basil. But maybe not in this story, he'd be a little out of his element. Same with robin hood I think. I think Alice makes for an interesting idea. What would her powers be? And Tinkerbelle as well?

As for Lilo and Stitch…not sure if I want to make them exist. Aliens aren't exactly a normal thing for this world. Or at least they're not a well known fact.

If they are maybe them and Megamind.

* * *

**Calasking:** Punz is like the superman or wonderwoman of this world. She's a little superhcharged at the moment. But her power levels will go back to normal after this story. I made her the most powerful cuz in most stories she's portrayed as kind of the weak link. Not exactly that but like the worst fighter sort of. So I wanted to make her the powerhouse of the team as every team needs a powerhouse.

* * *

**SidheWolf5**: I know who Johnny Five is. But animated characters only…plus he kind of weirds me out. He's creepy.

I like the Eep idea. But it'd be hard to get around the fact that she'd look like a caveman (not exactly a normal thing)…maybe just when she uses her powers…idk, we'll see.


	27. Chapter 27

**When the Nightmare Ends**

In the wide field Archer swerved and blasted her way through the hordes of nightmares Pitch sent at her. She loved her new bike. It was so fast. Not to mention Hiccup had outfitted it with an arsenal of weapons. Locking on to some nightmares through her helmet she blasted them with her bike's plasma blasters. With the way clear she headed straight for Pitch.

Pitch glared ad growled in frustration. He raised his hands up to summon more nightmares before sending them at Archer. It frustrated him to no end that he wasn't battling Frost. He had been looking forward to finally destroying him. But no matter, Archer would just have to die in his place.

The nightmares charged her. Coming at her with the intent to rip her apart. But she just blasted them. Scattering their bodies to the winds. When she reached Pitch she drove around him in a wide circle while blasting at him. But Pitch would defend himself with walls of spiraling black sand.

"Ye know what Pitch! You're not so scary!" Archer called out tauntingly as she circled him. Pitch glared before sending sand waves at her. But she would swerve and weave out of the way. Archer smiled to herself. She was getting to him.

"Ah mean, what's so scary about a man who had to steal his magic from someone else?" She cackled.

Pitch's blood boiled as he summoned more sand. Throwing his arms out he attempted to hit her. To make her shut up.

"Oh boohoo. Nobody notices me. Woe is me."

"SHUT UP!" Pitch roared. He sent a massive wave at her. It was too big to dodge in time. But with a smile Archer activated the boosters on her bike. Fire shot out from her boosters. She shot forward and narrowly avoided the wave. And in his anger Pitch hadn't left any to shield himself. Taking aim, she fired.

Powerful plasma blasts struck Pitch in the chest. Sending him flying back. He hit the gorund with a shout before rolling and skidding along the grass to a stop. Picking himself up, he glared at Archer who was coming straight at him.

Narrowing his eyes he summoned more black sand. It swirled around him, obscuring him from view before dissipating. And when it cleared Pitch was atop a giant Pitch black horse. Spiky and skeletal with menacing amber eyes it stomped and tore at the ground. Pitch meanwhile constructed black metallic armor for himself. Lastly, he called forth his black scythe. Grabbing onto his nightmare steed he ushered it forward to meet Archer.

Archer was a little surprise at Pitch's sudden turn to offense. But she revved her bike and kept going straight for him. She fired at him. Attempting to bring him down. But he would block and destroy the plasma bolts with his scythe.

When they got near each other Pitch smiled before cocking back his scythe. Prepared to take her head off. Seeing this Archer hit the break and leaned left, ducking under the dangerous black blade before veering in another direction. But peering over her shoulder, she saw Pitch coming after her. His eyes full of murder and hatred.

Eventually he caught up to her. Keeping pace as his horse galloped along her left side. With a maniacal smile he raised his scythe to slash at her. And then he swung. He was sure he was about to finisher her off. Bit to his surprise she blocked his scythe with something. Something that looked like a glowing red sword.

Having put the bike on autopilot, Archer drew Inferno and parried his slash. She swung back, using her left hand to swipe, slash, and stab at him. Their weapons clashed. Pitch had to keep repairing his scythe as he noticed the burning hot sword nearly always destroyed his. After his next slash was parried his eyes went wide as he noticed a small crossbow in Archer's right hand. She fired.

A small bolt pierced his horse's side. And then in a beep it exploded. That blast destroyed his horse. He yelped in surprise as he went sprawling and rolling along the ground. Only managing to save himself from major injury due to summoning black sand to cushion his fall.

Slowly picking himself up, he spotted Archer in the distance. She was on her bike, just watching him. She gave him a patronizing wave before she revved her engine.

Pitch glared and snarled at her. She was making a fool out of him. He would show her. He would show her what the king of nightmares and fear could do.

With a shout he raised his hand up before slamming both his palm against the ground. A moment later a giant mass of sand was headed for Archer. It was huge and almost like a tidal wave. He was that demented to wipe her out.

Archer knew she wouldn't be able to void it. So with a sigh she revved her bike and flew straight at it. She primed all remaining missiles and set the plasma core inside the bike to self-destruct.

Then slowing down just enough, she leapt off it. The bike went straight for the wave. And right before it was going to be engulfed by it, it exploded. All the missiles on it and the plasma core created a giant explosion that utterly blew the wave of sand away.

Pitch gaped in shock before covering his eyes. Sand and dust flew everywhere and his view of Archer was obscured. But squinting his eyes he suddenly made out her form bursting from the smoke and coming straight at him. In her right hand was her sword.

Raising his arms he formed a wicked black arrow and fired at her. But when the arrow came close she raised up her left arm. The arrow collided and broke as it came into contact with a shimmering barrier. Pitch growled in annoyance before firing at her some more. But she simply kept her arm up, blocking the arrows with the cursed barrier.

Eventually she came too close and he had no choice but to fight her. He summoned two black sword as they began to stab and slash at each other. But his were no match for that burning sword of her. With one swipe she slashed through the blade of both his swords before she delivered a painful burning cut across his torso.

Pitch howled as the blade of her sword seared his skin. He brought his hands up to his chest and glared at her as she kept coming.

With a shout he formed battle axe in his hand before raising it above his head and swing it downward. Intending to cleave her in two. But she stopped and raised her left arm. The blade of the axe collided with the barrier and broke into tiny bits of sand before with a spin on her heel, she kicked him across the jaw.

Pitch was spun before he crashed to the ground. Her close combat skills obviously better than his own. He backpedaled away s she advanced with her sword pointed at him.

In desperation he decided to use on last trick. He decided to use his fear manipulation to destroy her. He summoned a spiraling column of black sand around her.

Archer cursed as she was once again surrounded by that black sand. And just like before when it passed she was surrounded by blackness. No signs of anything could be made out. All she could do was wait.

"I'll admit. You had me Archer. But I've won now," Pitch called out confidently.

"Oh? How's that then?" Archer challenged.

"Maybe you knew how to break free of my powers before. But with the heightened strength of the spirits, your fears will destroy you," Pitch said darkly.

And in the next moment, Archer was bombarded with waves of pure terror. Every dark thought and fear she'd ever experienced in her whole life crashed down on her. Dredged up from the depths of her mind. They brought her to her knees as she dropped inferno. Her bow clattered to the ground from her back.

She shook her head and grabbed at her temples as the suffocating fear threatened to overwhelm her. Suddenly a familiar cry was heard. Archer looked u and to her horror, she was once again forced to witness the moment when Hiccup was about to be killed.

She watched as Drago approached his downed body, pike in hand and ready to end the life of the man she loved. And there she was. Once again helpless to stop it. Tears began to come to her eyes. She began to sob and sniffle as they threatened to burst free.

Her mind and body were being overloaded with fear. She started to hyperventilate. She suddenly couldn't breath. She fell onto her hands as she fought to remain conscious.

It couldn't end like this. It just couldn't.

That was what she told herself. But it wasn't helping. She felt…helpless. Just like when she was forced to watch Hiccup be stabbed and about to die.

And then, a faint blue light suddenly appeared out of the corner of her eyes. Looking up and over, she saw it was a wisp. It bobbed up and down and waved at her. It whispered to her.

And for some reason, she felt slightly better. Its faint blue glow lit up the darkness as she suddenly remembered something.

She'd saved Hiccup. She'd protected them both. Even when it seemed hopeless she hadn't given up. She'd fought. No matter how afraid she'd been. No matter how futile it may have been.

And suddenly, she found the small spark of courage remaining inside of her. A piece that no amount of fear could ever completely snuff out. Her hand brushed against a warm buzzing object. And looking down, she saw it was her bow.

The symbols were glowing. A brilliant blue light that beckoned for her to pick it up. She snatched it up and drew an arrow. This arrow was special. In it was a tiny plasma core. Dangerous and very explosive. The head was shaped like a small black dragon. Its mouth opened and a blue light emanating from it.

She notched the arrow and drew back on the string. The bow itself became engulfed in the blue flames just like it had before. They roared and blazed, their light pushed the darkness back. The wisp whispered into her ear.

Whipping around she fired. The wisp merged with the arrow head and covered it in blue flames. It roared as it sailed across the darkness. And when it reached the edge…

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The pained scream of Pitch was heard as the arrow suddenly burned away the darkness. All around the darkness fell way as the world around her became clear. Ahead of her was Pitch. His cloak and body were on fire. The blue flames burned at him. And no matter what he did, he couldn't put them out.

He screamed and shrieked as he ran around in a mad attempt to escape the flames. Then suddenly his gauntlet was pierced by another arrow. It exploded, sending metal shrapnel into his hand and arm. He screamed and shrieked as he clutched his bleeding hand to his chest.

"HEY PITCH!"

Pitch turned in the direction of the shout just as Archer had leapt at him. His eyes widened and he was too late to react as Archer smashed her right knee square into his face. A sickening crunch was heard as she broke his nose. Blood spurted out as he was knocked off his feet. He landed on his back hard.

With a groan he attempted to sit up. His body screamed in protest. His mind and vision spun and his ears rang.

And then with a final released of air his shoulder sagged and he fell back. A moment later he was out cold.

Archer stood there proudly as she stared at the downed Pitch. When he was out she smiled at her victory.

But then her knees gave out. She fell to the grass and panted in exhaustion.

Using the bow as she had was definitely going to take some getting used to. Reaching into her pocket, she threw the containment disk onto Pitch's chest. It activated and trapped him in the blue energy filed. Cutting off his magic and trapping him.

Taking a breath, she slowly got her feet under her. Then she trudged her way to the stone.

Raising a finger to her ear, she pressed won on her ear piece.

"Fury, Pitch is down. Stone is secure," she said aloud.

"Good job Archer. Standby," Fury replied.

"Roger that," she said in confirmation.

With that she stood up and scanned the area. It wasn't over just yet.

They still had Gothel's stone left. And then hopefully Hiccup could defeat Mor'du.

* * *

**New Chapter. Hope you like.**

**Dlh024: Astrid and the other would be dragon riders don't know he is Night Fury. Should anything happen to him, he has Jack and Eve. **

**Guest: the stories kind of revolve around all of them. Though this one is a little more Hiccup and Merida. I like them better i suppose. Plus i think Hiccup makes the best leader out of all of them. **


	28. Chapter 28

**Poetic Justice**

On the frozen lake, Frost battle against Gothel and her minions.

"SLAP SHOT!" Frost cried as he swung the end of his cane down. He knocked it against the icy puck he'd formed, sending it flying at Jasper, hitting him square in the jaw. The man cried out as he brought his hands to his face. Frost tried to repeat his attack on Horace, but the man blocked with a hand.

"C'mon guys, keep up," Frost shouted to taunt them. Forming another icy disk he began to skate along the surface of the ice. Jasper spit out a tooth into his palm before growling and chasing after him. The soles of his suit's feet were spiked, allowing him to run on the icy surface. But he was no match for Frost on the ice.

Frost smiled as he skated circles around them, literally. And all the while he would form icy pucks and then send them flying at them. Catching them in the jaws and forcing them to defend themselves. Changing tactics, he headed straight for Horace. The man waited for him to come. When he got within swinging distance he cocked back an arm and swung.

But Frost dropped. He slid along the surface and right between his legs. Coming up behind him he hooked the end of his cane around his foot before pulling him off his feet. Horace ell face first onto the ice. And before he could get up, Frost raised his cane up and thrust it down. The pointed end of the crescent moon on his staff pierce through the armor. The focusing his power, he filled it with ice. The ice spread within the armor's circuitry. It began to spark wildly before it went offline, trapping Horace on the ground.

A shout from behind caught his attention. Frost turned to see Jasper rushing at him. With an armor fist cocked back. Summoning the winds, Frost took to the air. Jasper, snarled before leaping at him.

Big mistake.

Frost pointed his staff at him. Swirling his cane around he began to make the wind converge on Jasper. He made them swirl and spin rapidly round him, trapping him in a powerful vortex akin to a wind tunnel. Then with a quick jerk, the wind sent him flying. He watched as Jasper screamed and sailed through the sky. Then he came falling back to the earth. He crashed through the icy surface of the lake.

Frost touched down and waited for him to resurface. He did, he came up gasping for air. His body shivering at the freezing waters. With a chuckled he tapped his cane against his armor, freezing it over and trapping him in ice.

With that, he finally turned his attention to Gothel. Who was standing there, looking mildly unimpressed.

"Your turn hag," Frost said as he began walking toward her.

Gothel sighed in annoyance. "Very well then, boy. I guess I'll have to kill you myself," she said with a scowl. With a shout she summoned black sand and sent it flying at him. Frost stood his ground. Taking his staff in both hands he spun it in front of him and blinding speed. Not only did it block the sand but it created a powerful wind that pushed Gothel back.

"Gonna have to do better than that hag. That black sand is no surprise to me," Frost called out. Then suddenly a yellow flash shot out at Frost. He yelped before leaping to the side. Looking closely at Gothel, he could see she had an armored gauntlet on both hands. One was covered in magic writings. The other was glowing yellow at the palm.

"How was that then hero? I stole quite a bit of power from Limelight earlier," she explained as she pointed her palm at him and fired again. Frost summoned and icy wall in front of him to block.

"Ok, so I admit that's not bad," Frost called out as he peeked around his wall. Then suddenly he leapt out from behind it as a long black spear pierced straight through it, narrowly avoiding impaling him.

Gothel's ability to control the black sand was getting stronger every passing minute. The dark spirits energies increasing her magic abilities to unknown levels.

"So, what's up with the whole, eternal youth and beauty thing huh?" Frost asked mockingly as he fired ice shards at her. "I mean, I thought women aged like fine wine and all that," he called out as he voided a sun blast.

"You must have been aging like milk!" he said to antagonize her.

Gothel glared at him before suddenly illusion of her began to form out of the air. Suddenly the whole lake was full of her. Frost was surrounded. He darted his head back and forth as he waited for an attack. The Gothels raised their hands. Forming black arrow before they let them fly at him. Frost raised his staff up, making the winds swirl round him, forming a wall of air that knocked the arrows back and away from him.

But then the Gothels raised their gauntlets and fired sun blasts at him from all direction. Frost took to the air to dodge. Getting frustrated he then dropped back to the lake, but raising his staff above his head he slammed the butt of it against the surface. An explosion of cold air shot out in all directions. Knocking al the Gothels off their feet.

He looked around for the real one. But then the crunch of ice from behind got his attention. He turned to see Gothel coming at him, a black sword in hand, poised and ready to slash him. Frost smiled. He waited for her to come.

Gothel was prepared to kill Frost. To slash open his throat. As she brought her sword down on him, he suddenly vanished. Her sword passed through empty air and she sputtered in surprise.

Suddenly something yanked her gauntlet for absorbing the spirit's energies back. Then ice began to cover it. She screamed at the cold feeling, and seeing no other choice she had to remove it. It clattered tot the ground and broke apart, the ice reducing it to brittleness.

"Surprised Gothel?" came the voice of Frost. Gothel's narrowed her eyes and looked back and forth in an attempt to find him.

"Where are you boy?" she called out.

"I'm here. A little added effect of using Moon Man's staff. I become like a spirit. Invisible. Undetectable," Frost explained. Suddenly Gothel's legs were swept out from under her. She leapt to her feet and growled before summoning a black sword and slashing wildly at the air.

"Miss. Missed again. Missed. Almost had me. Oh so close. Missed. Miss. Oh wow, that hurt…the air," Frost cackled out. Then he laughed. Laughed long and haughtily.

The sound of his laughter grated on Gothel's nerves. The boy was making a fool out of her.

"I'm going to drain every bit of life force out of you boy! I'll age you until you turn to dust," she declared with a snarl.

"Alright…do it," Frost challenged as he stood directly behind her. Gothel whirled around and lashed out with her hand. She smiled triumphantly and she began to drain away his life force. Frost just stood there, casually leaning on his cane.

"That's not possible," Gothel suddenly muttered out. She looked down at her hand with wide eyes. She could feel no life force draining out of him. "How come this isn't working?"

"Because I'm not alive," Frost replied coolly. Suddenly ice crept up Gothel's arm. It was so cold it seemed to burn as her entire forearm was frozen solid. She howled in pain and reeled back as she looked at her frozen limb.

"Right now my body temperature is below freezing. Slowly approaching absolute zero. My blood isn't flowing. Hell my heart ain't beating. Even my skin is like ice," he explained.

Gothel looked at him in bewilderment. "But then how—,"

"How can I be alive? It's a bit of a paradox really. Nothing should be able to live at this temperature. And yet at the same time…I can't freeze to death," he explained as he walked toward her. Gothel raised her arm to fire a sun blast at him, only to find her gauntlet frozen.

"When I'm like this I can freeze anything within my line of sight," Frost added. All around him the air chilled and cooled as icy mist began to come off of him. Gothel tried to back away, but she was stuck.

She looked down to see ice creeping its way up her feet, rooting her in place. She looked back up to see Frost standing directly in front of her.

"Game over," he said as he tapped her on the forehead with a finger. In an instant Gothel's entire body froze. Her expression was stuck in a permanent expression of fear.

"Look on the bright side hag. At least you'll get what you always wanted. You'll never age. You'll be young and beautiful forever," Frost said casually. Then he reached into a pocket and placed the containment disk on her.

With that he tuned on his heel and began walking toward the stone. All while bring his core temperature back up slowly.

"Poetic justice witch."

Coming up to the stone he placed his finger to his ear. "Fury, Gothel is down. I got the stone buddy. Hurry it up with Mor'du will ya," he said jokingly.

"Shut it icicle," came a growl from Fury.

Frost chuckled. Then he stood on guard. He looked at the sky. Still dark ad black. They were close. They were gonna do it.

All that was left was Mor'du.

* * *

**New chapter. **

**Dlh024: Not every dragon will be an armor. Like the Flightmare some will be vehicles. Thats my intention for the Zippleback. Hadn;t thought to use the boneknapper. Might not. I couldln't really think of what they could do so a vehicle will rpbably be the better choice. **

**BH D: Love Treasure Planet. Have a pln for Jim in a future story. But not this one. Love your ideas though**


	29. Chapter 29

**Battle against the Darkness II**

In the city of Berk the dark spirits swarmed and blacked out the sky with their numbers. They would make dives at the innocent people below frantically trying to reach safety. And yet at the same time, the spirits were being kept at bay by the neon orange flying drones engaging them in the sky. The Fireworms flew at them, weaving and swerving through their vast numbers while blasting at them.

On the ground. The different battle suits would protect and guide the citizens to safety. A woman trapped inside her car from a collision was rescued as the bulky Gronckle battle suit came over and ripped the car door off.

A few blocks over, people were being guarded by the Nightmare, Thunderdrum, and Nadder battle armors while taking shelter in a large building. As spirits got too close, the armors would blast at them. Matching the dark wavelength of the spirits', their weapons were able to destroy them.

All the while, Eve flew through the city as she fought alongside the Changewing battle armor. Looking through over 30 different viewpoints, she controlled the suits and Fireworm drones like a war general.

A loud and explosion was heard and seen as one of the Fireworms was destroyed. Recalculating, Eve changed her battle strategy accordingly to accommodate the loss. All in all, Eve was holding her own. The damage wasn't too bad, and it hadn't seem like lives had been lost. But she was fighting a losing battle.

She just needed to hold out a little longer. Just until her creator and his friends sealed the portal and called the spirits back.

* * *

In Metroville, brother and sister defended the city together. People were being scooped up off the streets right as spirits were pouncing on them. The only thing that could be seen was a red blur. It would move by in a flash and then the people would be gone.

The spirits howled in frustration before being blasted back by a wall of psionic energy. The spirit's would screech and look around in an attempt to find the source of their attacker. But they could spot no one. In a violet flash a handful of spirits were sent flying by a wall of the same energy.

In a shimmer a woman suddenly appeared out of thin air. Wearing a red costume with her father's trademark symbol, her superhero name was Violet. She smiled proudly to herself. Glancing around, she nodded in satisfaction at seeing her brother having taken everyone in this area to safety.

"DASH POWERBALL MANEUVER!" she called out. In a gust of wind her younger brother was at her side.

"Let's do it," he said in excitement. With a nod she covered them both in a sphere of psionic energy. Hordes of spirits came at them. But then her brother started to run. He got the sphere moving, making them a powerful rolling ball of destruction as they rammed into the spirits, flattening them as they made their way through the city in search of more civilians to protect.

* * *

Above the streets of Never City, the high tech hero known as Pixie flew through the air as she blasted the dark spirits. Her energy wings buzzed and beat like a dragonfly's, carrying her through the air at blinding speeds.

Her helmet and visor locked onto the incoming spirits and adjusted the frequency of her power gauntlets. Raising her arms she fired, shooting out powerful blasts of bio-electric energy. She destroyed many of them. But several managed to avoid her attacks before diving at her.

Crossing her arms in front of her she activated her electromagnetic energy barrier. The spirits slammed into it. Sending her careening and tumbling toward the ground.

But with a twist she righted herself and got her wings going. She stopped in midair to hover and take another look at the situation. There were too many of the spirits to count. And her armor was running low on power. She really needed to create a better power source.

She briefly wondered what that hero from Berk used for his own power suits.

But shaking it off she rocketed back up to the sky to engage the spirits. She'd called for her sister. So hopefully she'd get there soon to provide backup.

* * *

In Under City the hero Mad Cat ripped open holes in time and space, sending the spirits to an inescapable dimension from which there was no return. All at once she wiped out hundreds of them. Then she directed bolts of her chaos magic at them. Blasting through countless numbers of them.

Some spirits tried to outflank her. But they stopped when they sensed a dark presence. A demonic face suddenly appeared out of thin air in their path. Glowing green eyes with cat like slits and a wide toothy smile.

The mouth suddenly opened and swallowed them whole in one bite.

Mad Cat wasn't afraid. No matter how crazy things were getting. Hell, she thrived on crazy.

She simply hummed to herself as she continued her task.

* * *

**So, another little break from the story to show some more requested cameos.**

**Few notes. This worlds is in the same world as the Incredibles. All events take place after the battle with syndrome, after which supers have been allowed to come out of hiding. **

**Also:**

**Tank-o-matic: I see what you're saying now. Well this story is almost at its end so it's a little late for that. In the future I will try to have Jack and other people play a more important role in a future story. Got an idea? **

**That being said. If anyone has an idea for a story featuring any of the heroes I've introduced teaming up with the Big Four, or if you want to suggest a character as a hero i didn;t introduce,let me know. Include rough plot, villain or evil organization, goal, yadda yadda you get the drill. If I like it I will write it for this AU in the future. And we can collab.**

******However, nothing with Mavis, or Anna and Elsa. As I already have ideas for their team up with the team. Enjoy and as always, let me know what you think.**

**Also, if people have ideas for Villain CHILDREN let me know. Most villains are quite older than the heros. So it wouldn;t be inconceviable to have had a child tucked away somehwhere. Honsetly heros way outnumber villains, so children of villains might end up the recurring threat for my stories. **


	30. Chapter 30

**Promises Broken**

Sparks flew through as the sound of metal on metal pierced the air. Mor'du and Fury were battling. Mor'du using his sword and axe while Fury used blades on his gauntlets. They slashed and stabbed at each other, trying to get an opening. Mor'du was impressed by the hero's skill. He hadn't faced an opponent like him in 1000 years. But he was still only a boy compared to him.

He swung at Fury with his axe. Fury ducked to dodge but then was kicked in the chest. He went sailing backwards, he rolled and dug his feet into the ground before sliding to a stop. He looked back up to Mor'du in surprise. No person should be that strong. He figured the spirits must be giving him this incredible strength. Mor'du looked at him and smiled haughtily. Fury glared underneath his helmet before running to the side. He ran around Mor'du as he tried to blast at him. But Mor'du would block with either his axe or sword, knocking the blasts away.

Fury cursed before activating his wings and taking to the air. He fired at Mor'du, hoping to take him down. But Mor'du moved with incredible speed for a man of his size, dodging and blocking the blasts with his weapons. At one point Mor'du stopped and pulled back his axe arm, then with a shout he threw it.

Fury swerved out of the path as the axe came at him. He glanced back to see it flying off into the distance before turning back to Mor'du. He gasped as he saw Mor'du airborne and coming at him. Mor'du collided with Fury in midair before dragging him to the ground. He held Fury down by the neck with his left hand and pinned his right arm under his boot.

"Fight like a man boy," Mor'du growled before he raised his sword arm up to finish Fury off. Fury reacted quickly, he pointed his left palm at his face and fired. Mor'du leapt back with surprising reflexes and avoided being blasted in the face.

"Better a man than a monster I guess," Fury spat at him as he rose to his feet. Mor'du growled and surged forward. He slashed as Fury, creating a slash in his armor's chest plate with his enchanted sword. Fury cursed before bringing his sword out of his gauntlets again and fighting back.

He and Mor'du battled, swinging at each other relentlessly with their blades. But slowly but surely, Fury was being driven back. He was no match for Mor'du's century's worth of fighting experience. Mor'du raised his sword above his head and brought it down with all his strength. Fury crossed his blades together and blocked, but with a loud clang Fury was pushed to his knees as Mor'du pressed down on his sword. He sneered as Fury struggled to push back.

"You're weak you little runt. Too weak to stand a chance against me. I've faced the warriors of old. I've fought in battles and wars of ancient days. Did you really think you could beat me?" he roared. He took one hand off his sword and swung upward, catching Fury under the chin. Even with his armor he was knocked off his feet. Mor'du capitalized by kicking him in the chest, sending him flying back until he crashed back against one of the standing stones.

Fury collided with the stone and cried out. Before he could fall to the ground Mor'du was clutching him by the throat. He had his sword pointed at his heart, ready to run him through.

"Any last words boy?" Mor'du growled out.

"Welcome to the 21st century," Fury said as he grabbed Mor'du's arm with both hands. He activated the Tasers on his gauntlets, letting a powerful electrical current run through Mor'du body. He set the levels far above what any ordinary human could handle. And as he's predicted, it wasn't enough to kill him. But with a cry his body spasmed and he dropped Fury.

Mor'du was trying to overcome the electrical current making his nerves go haywire when suddenly he was grabbed by the back of the head. He couldn't react as his face was slammed into the standing stone. He cried out and dropped his sword as he pushed away from the stone. But then he was bent over and kneed in the stomach as Fury activated a thruster on his leg and drove his knee up and into Mor'du's gut.

Mor'du doubled over in pain and gasped for air. He was suddenly pushed up and back before being met with a powerful punch to the face. Metal crashed against his skull, and he stumbled back from the force. He shook his head to clear it before looking back to Fury. His eyes widened as he saw two purple flashes coming at him. They struck him in the chest, sending him sailing backwards. He hit the ground hard and winced. He managed to get his legs under him, but just barely. He tried to face Fury but saw him nowhere in sight.

He suddenly heard a humming from above and looked up only to be met with a powerful downward punch the face. He was forced to one knee before he was grabbed by the throat, lifted up, and slammed into the ground.

He opened his eyes only to be met with a metallic fist to the face. And then another, and another, and even more as Fury pummeled Mor'du. Partly out of revenge, mostly for justice, and slightly because he'd hurt Merida. Ok, so mostly because he'd hurt Merida.

Only when Mor'du remained still on the ground with his face swollen and bloody did he stop. He'd made sure to hold back enough not to kill him. Stepping off him and rising up he looked Mor'du over. And was satisfied he was done. He produced the metal containment disk and threw it onto his chest, encasing him in the containment filed before turning away.

Mor'du peeked an eye open as the hero walked away from him. And he growled angrily. Rage and hatred broiled and churned within him. He wouldn't be defeated again. Not by some child. He called on the spirit's power inside of him. They responded to his ire, to the evil and darkness within his heart with pleasure.

The magic inflicted upon him by the witch began to change. Influenced by the spirit's his body began to shift. Slowly his mind and soul became less human.

More beastlike.

With a great roar the containment disk was blown away by his new power. Fury turned around in disbelief. Mor'du shouldn't have been able to escape. He saw a dark mass of swirling spirit's surrounding him. They encased him and rose, hiding something huge in their blackness. Fury peered into the darkness as he readied himself. And suddenly something surged forward.

He barely had time to react before something huge and black slammed into him. He lashed out and wrapped his hand around gigantic jaws of a monstrous black bear. It must have been twelve feet tall and with a strength far beyond any animal.

He struggled as he fought against its strength. But with a shake it got its jaws free before clamping down on his shoulder armor. Fury cried out as its teeth pierced through and sank into his flesh. The bear shook its head back and forth before it's rolled around and tossed him into a tree. Fury hit the tree and slid down it, nearly passing out but hanging onto consciousness by sheer will. He looked up only to find the demon bear upon him. It raised a huge paw up and swatted him across the face. He could feel his neck nearly break from the force.

He managed to duck and roll under another swipe that nearly cut the tree in half. He came up as Mor'du turned around and charged him. His mouth is agape as he tried to bite at him. But Fury was ready that time. He raised an arm up and activated his barrier. Mor'du slammed into it, the force of which dazed him as he shook his head to try and clear the cobwebs.

Fury activated his micro cores, they glowed along his back as his suit's strength started to increase. He advanced and grabbed Mor'du by his fur. With a grunt he lifted Mor'du off the ground, Mor'du roared in surprise before Fury brought him down upon his armored knee, nearly breaking his back before tossing him away.

Mor'du groaned in pain before rolling over and looking back to Fury with beady black eyes and roaring. The demon bar charged him, trying to get at him with his claws, but Fury caught them both by the wrist and held him at bay. He swung him around as they pushed against each other.

Mor'du growled and snapped at Fury who kept him back. Fury growled in effort as the demon bear's unnatural strength was so near his own. But he had to win. He couldn't afford to lose.

"MINE!" came a barely distinguishable voice. He looked up to see Mor'du still growling and glaring at him. "MINE! **SHE. WILL. BE. MINE**!" Mor'du managed to growl out. Even in his beastlike state his obsession with Merida was still there. Unfortunately, all this did was anger Fury.

Fury glared underneath his helmet, he started to divert power to his central plasma core.

He'd never let him have Merida.

His plasma core on his chest started to glow as he let power flow and build into it. Mor'du growled in confusion as he tried to understand what was going on. And then Fury released that power.

Mor'du lets out a roar in surprise as he was blasted point blank in the chest by a powerful plasma blast emanating from Fury's central core. He was thrown back and slammed against the standing stone. When the blast died down his whole front was singed and badly burned. He felt his power drain away as he began to revert back to normal. All energy of the spirits being used up at once just to keep him from dying from his injuries.

A man once more he looked up to see Fury advancing on him. Still determined to fight he managed to rush him. His fist cocked was back as he released a battle cry. But Fury, blocked with his left before he slashed him across the torso, in the same place as his old scar. Mor'du cried out as his brain exploded with searing hot pain. Then his breath was knocked out of him as Fury drove his fist into his gut, sending him flying back against the standing stone once more.

Mor'du looked up and his mind flashed back to 1000 years ago. His throbbing burn scar aching like it did all those years ago.

"It's over Mor'du. You've lost," Fury said. Mor'du's eyes widened. His words were what that man had said. He looked up to see Fury approaching, holding his own sword in his right hand.

"It cannot be," Mor'du muttered lowly. This scene…it was too similar. "You should have died. But you came back. Damn you! You came back!" he shouted. Slowly he got his feet under him. He placed a hand against the standing stone for support. He glared at Fury who stood there watching him.

"Ah won't stop ye know. Ah will never stop. Ah will have Merida! Ah will not be denied! SHE WILL BE MI—,"

At the mention of Merida Fury had had enough. Raising his left arm up he pointed his palm at him and fired a plasma blast. Mor'du managed to avoid it by ducking. He stood back up and snarled at Fury. But suddenly a cracking sound was heard. He looked behind him to see a crack on the standing stone's surface. And it was getting bigger. The crack grew and until it spread to both sides of the stone.

Mor'du looked up to see the stone tipping over. His eyes went wide as he knew he didn't have the strength to move out of the way in time.

"MOR'DU! LOOK OUT!" Fury said as he ran toward him.

But he wouldn't make it in time. With a final scream of fear the stone fell upon Mor'du. With a great crash everything went silent as the dust settled. Fury reached the stone and looked down. He could see Mor'du's hand peeking out from under the stone. But it was unmoving and limp.

In his state Mor'du was too weak to stop the stone. And too weak to avoid death.

Fury stood up somberly. A small part of him felt guilt. Though Mor'du was a monster, though he was evil to his core, he hadn't wanted this. But he would have to confront it later. Stepping passed him with sword in hand, he gazed into the dark pit in the center of the standing stones. Spirit's were still coming out of it.

Peering inside the pit, he could see a small platform deep inside. With a nervous swallow, Fury steeled himself before he leapt into the pit. The spirit's had to be called back from the inside. And the sword would be sealed inside this dark realm forever. That way this could never happen again.

When he was inside his eyes widened as he felt the gravity change. He was suddenly turned until l he was flying toward the platform. He shook off his surprise as he activated his thrusters and wings and flew towards it. He could feel a coldness upon him. Which shouldn't have been possible since his suit regulated his body temperature.

As he made his way toward it he heard shrieks and screeches. He turned to see spirits had taken notice of him. They flew at him, trying to destroy him. He cursed before blasting at them. But they came in hordes, latching onto to him, they tore off his wings, damaged his boots as they tried to rip his armor off.  
Fury cried out as he swung at them with Mor'du's sword. At that they all flew away. Fury looked at the sword and saw the runes on it glowing. Its magic must have had some effect on them he concluded.

Finally he came to the small floating rock in the center of the nothingness. How it was here. He'd never know. The gravity had shifted again and he was once more standing upright on its surface. He looked up to see where he'd coming and sighed.

The diagnostics report on his armor's indicated he couldn't fly out. Meaning this was going to be a one way trip. Merida was going to kill him. But like they'd said. If it ever came down to this…they'd choose the lives of millions. And they'd do it every time.

Hiccup called for his friends.

"Alright everyone, I got the sword and I'm in the dimension," he informed them.

"About time buddy. What the hell took you so long?" Jack quipped. He couldn't help but chuckle.

"Shut it Frosty. Hiccup, are we ready?" Merida asked.

"Yes. Hold on," he said. "Eve, feed me the spell that will call all the spirits back to their dimension," he commanded. Eve complied, words started to appear on his display and Eve read them off so he could say them properly.

As he spoke the words the markings and runes on the sword began to glow. It hummed in his hand as they got brighter and brighter. And soon a pulse of energy shot outward. It flew from the portal as it spread throughout the entire planet.

Spirit's howled and screeched as the ancient spell called them back. Heroes from all over the world gaped in confusion and cheered as they saw the spirits flying away. They didn't know what happened but they were glad it did.

Hiccup watched as the blackness was sucked back into the portal. IT filled the ark dimension with a mass of shadows and glowing eyes.

"It working!" Rapunzel said aloud in happiness.

"Yes!" Frost cried in glee.

"We did it Hiccup. Are you out? Do we destroy the stones now?" Merida asked him.

Hiccup gulped. He would be trapping himself in here if they did. But he couldn't afford to let the spirit's escape. He took a breath. "Yes. Do it now," he commanded.

* * *

In the forest clearing Limelight charged energy into her palm and aimed it at the stone. She let it build before she blasted it.

* * *

Archer drew Inferno and cocked back her arm. With a shout she swung it at the stone with all her might.

* * *

Frost twirled his staff before focusing his icy powers into it. He formed it into an ice javelin and thrust it at the stone

He pierced it and it shatter, its pieces falling to the ice lake surface and stopping the pillar of light shooting into the sky. He looked up and saw the other pillars gone.

He raised a finger to his earpiece with a smile.

"Mission accomplished guys. How we going to celebrate Hiccup?"

"…Yeah…about that...," Hiccup said grimly.

"What's going on Hiccup?" Merida asked in concern.

"Well…I may have lied about being out of the dark dimension," he said sheepishly.

"WHAT?!" his teammates cried in unison.

"Well what the bloody hell are you doing then? Get out of there or you'll be trapped!" Merida shrieked at him.

"About that. My wings and thrusters were sort of destroyed on my way in here. So…yeah."

Frost took to the sky and headed for the standing stones. "Hiccup, please tell me this is one of your really bad jokes," he pleaded.

"…Sorry partner, it's been a hell of a ride," Hiccup said sadly. Frost paled as his blood went cold. He picked up speed as he headed for the stones.

* * *

Ina flash of blue fire, Merida was suddenly before the shrinking portal. She didn't dwell on how she'd gotten there. She'd just felt an overwhelming urge to get to Hiccup and there she was. She dropped down to look into the portal and saw him looking back up to her.

"HICCUP!"

"Hey Mer. Sorry about this. I know I promised you some dinner," he joked sadly.

"Hiccup, no" Merida said shaking her head. She felt tears coming to her eyes. "It can't end like this Hiccup. Please!" she said into her earpiece.

"Sorry Merida…maybe in the next life?" he said with a sigh.

"I love you."

Merida felt her heart breaking every passing second the portal got smaller and smaller. She didn't know what to do. What could she do?

In her sadness a wisp was summoned. She didn't notice it. It flicked out of sight as it went to seek help for its mistress.

* * *

**Oh no Hiccup! How will they get him out of there?! Or will they at all? Find out next time muhaha**


	31. Chapter 31

**A New Day**

Jack flew toward the standing stones as fast as he could. He was scared out of his mind for his best friend. He had to do something. He couldn't let him be trapped in that dark dimension.

He reached the stones within moments and saw Merida kneeling before the shrinking black rift. He touched down and ran up before dropping to his knees beside her. He peered into the portal to find Hiccup looking back up at them.

"HICCUP!" he shouted down in worry. Hiccup looked to him and gave a thumbs up. Jack shook his head. How could it end like this? It wasn't fair. He could do nothing as the rift became smaller and smaller.

He and Merida watched helplessly. They watched as black shapes suddenly surrounded him. Then they pounced. They couldn't look away as Hiccup began blasting them. Fighting for his life in a battle with an inevitable end.

"Hiccup!" both Jack and Merida shouted. They watched on as they swarmed him, enshrouding him. Soon they would lose all sight of him as the rift was almost entirely closed.

They were so lost in the horrible sight that they didn't notice the earth shake as their teammate arrived. She stomped up to them and threw them to the side.

"MOVE!" Rapunzel commanded. She placed both hand on either side of the rift and with all her strength, she attempted to pull it apart. To keep it open so they could get to Hiccup. But this was by far the greatest physical task she's ever done. And the pain…it was like thousands of shards of burning hot glass were stabbing into her palms. But she didn't let go. She growled and as she attempted to pry the rift wider.

"Rapunzel!" Merida cried as she ran to her side. She watched as her best friend was trying so hard to save the man she loved. "Rapunzel please!" she begged.

"I'm trying!" Rapunzel said through clenched teeth. She truly was. But the rift kept shrinking.

Jack noticed this and cursed. He looked up to the sky as he saw the eclipse ending. The portal was linked to the eclipse and was closing as the moon moved out of alignment with the sun. He stared at the moon as every second that passed meant the end for his friend.

"We just need a little more time. Please!" he prayed aloud. To who, he didn't know. He just prayed. To whatever divine force or being would listen. To whatever would give them the time they needed.

And then, almost as if hearing his plea, the moon stopped. He gaped wide eyed at it. And he couldn't believe it. It had really stopped. He was flabbergasted.

_Go Jack_.

Jack gasped as he heard a voice in his mind. A familiar voice that he'd heard only once before. A voice that had comforted him when he had died and been given a new life.

_GO JACK!_

The voice was more insistent this time. It was clear that whatever was happening, it wouldn't last long. He knew they needed to act fast.

"Alright guys I don't know what's going on but we got some time. Whatever we're going to do we got to do it now!" Jack shouted as he came to Rapunzel and Merida.

"Punz, please, you have to open the rift. You're the only one that can!" she begged her friend. Rapunzel looked at her. She saw the desperation in her eyes. The fear of losing the man she loved. Rapunzel narrowed her eyes and nodded. Her hair and eyes began to shine as they lit up the entire area. With a cry she tapped into her well of power and slowly she began to pull the rift apart.

It got wider and wider until they could all see Hiccup once again. His armor was badly damaged and his helmet had been lost. Yet he fought on. Blasting and firing at the spirit's leaping and pouncing on him.

"HICCUP!" Merida shouted. Hiccup looked up in shock. His eyes were wide as he looked at Merida and Jack.

"Jack, make sure nothing gets out," Merida commanded.

"Right," Jack said as he got himself ready.

Merida was about to look to Rapunzel, but she already felt her looping her hair around her waist. She looked to her friend and smiled gratefully. Rapunzel managed a small smile back as her arms were screaming and straining to keep the portal open.

Merida took a breath before she leapt into the dark dimension. She fell until she reached the end of Rapunzel's hair. She looked back up to shout at her. "Rapunzel! I need more length!" she shouted.

Rapunzel focused and made her hair lengthen more. Merida was slowly lowered as she got nearer and near to Hiccup. Spirits tried flying passed her to freedom, but they were blown back down by an icy wind. Spirits tried getting to Merida, but she drew Inferno. She didn't know how, but the blade suddenly came covered in blue flames like her bow did.

She slashed at them with her blue fire. The spirits were burned and blasted to oblivion as her flames destroyed their dark essence. She kept them at bay as she got nearer and near to Hiccup. She watched as Hiccup continued to battle the spirits. They rushed him at once, pouncing on him. Merida cried out as she saw him being pulled under their black masses.

Then in an explosion they were blazed away. Hiccup remained on the ground, singed and dizzy from the explosions. But his reprieve was short lived as he was swarmed yet again. He blasted at them some more to keep them at bay.

Merida was hopeful. She felt that she could get to Hiccup and save him. She was so close. Then suddenly she felt herself stop again. "Rapunzel, more length!" she shouted.

Rapunzel winced. "I can't. I'm almost out!" she shouted back. She felt her reserves running low. It was a miracle she lasted this long. She felt her arms start it give as the rift gave. She cursed as she tried to pry it open wider. But she felt it starting to close. But she wouldn't give up. Not if it meant losing Hiccup and Merida.

Merida looked down and her panic grew. How could she get to Hiccup? She reached out to him in desperation. As if she could reach him. She cried out to him.

"HICCUP!"

Once again Hiccup was overwhelmed. He was pulled under as they blanketed him. She saw him go under until he was completely obscured from view. She watched helplessly as his hand was all that remained.

"NOOO!"

Suddenly a wisp appeared at her side. She glanced at it as it bobbed up and down in excitement. Merida looked at in confusion. And then a strange scent caught her attention. It was sweet. Something she knew. But it made no sense.

…_Pumpkin?_

Out of nowhere orange flames suddenly burst forth. They burned at the spirit's pinning Hiccup down, causing them to flee. Hiccup sat up in bewilderment as the spirits suddenly retreated. Some however, attempted to come back at him. They drew close until a giant column of spiraling flames suddenly surrounded him. He flinched at the sudden flames. They roared and spun around him as he stood perfectly safe in the center. He rose to his feet and glanced around.

He suddenly felt a presence behind him. He whirled around and looked up. And up. There was a figure behind him. Tall, and like a scarecrow. And on its head was a pumpkin. With a face carved into it. And coming from the wicked looking nose and mouth were flames. Flickering and crackling with intense heat. The thing looked down at him.

Hiccup gaped up at this thing. What the hell was it? Was it a dark spirit? Was it coming to finish him off? But then again, why had it saved him?

"HICCUP!" came a cry from above. He looked up and saw Merida looking down at him. Her gaze flicking back and forth between the thing and himself. He looked back at her in utter bewilderment. Not knowing what to do.

Then he yelped as he felt himself being lifted up. And in the next moment he was flying through the air. He flailed and looked down to see the pumpkin thing looking up at him. It gave a wave and a bow. And then he felt arms wrap around him. He glanced over his shoulder to see Merida holding onto him.

"PULL US OUT!" she cried out. Then she felt a tugging at her waist as they were both being lifted up and out of the dark dimension. Outside Jack pulled on Rapunzel's hair as fast as he could to reel his friends out. Rapunzel groaned and grinded her teeth as she held the rift open to get her friends out.

Merida and Hiccup looked down to see black tendrils rising up at them. They shouted in panic before they were suddenly lit on fire. The pumpkin thing below gave an eerie otherworldly howl as flames kept the spirits at bay.

Merida looked down at it in amazement. She locked eyes with it and stared.

_My debt is repaid Your Majesty. Until we meet again old friend. _

Merida blinked in surprise as she heard a voice in her mind. She didn't dwell on it as she and Hiccup were suddenly pulled. Rapunzel let go of the rift as the eclipse ended. The rift closed as the portal to the dark dimension was sealed. And with it, so was the sword of Mor'du.

The team gasped and panted heavily as they tried to slow their racing hearts. They'd done it. They'd won and saved the world. Rapunzel's hair faded and shortened to a brown as her power ran out. But she smiled happily as she sank to her knees in relief.

Jack came to her side and rested a hand on her shoulder before lifting her to her feet. He smiled at her before looking to their teammates.

Merida and Hiccup slowly rose to their feet. They looked to each other in relief. Until Merida socked Hiccup in the jaw with a hard punch.

"OWWW!" Hiccup cried as he fell backward onto his backside. He rolled around as his jaw throbbed in pain.

"DON'T EVER DO THAT AGAIN YOU IDIOT! Merida cried as she kneeled down and yanked him up to glare into his eyes. There was a snarl on her face as she pinned him under a very angry stare.

Hiccup was wide eyed as gulped nervously at his angry girlfriend.

"I THOUGHT!" Merida began. But then her angry expression faded as her lower lip began to tremble. She threw her arms around him as she began to sob against his chest.

"I thought I lost you," she choked out. Hiccup smiled as he placed a hand on her back to comfort her. He looked up to Jack and Rapunzel and smiled at them in thanks.

"Thanks guys," he said in earnest.

"Meh, what are friends for?" Jack said with a shrug.

"No problem Hiccup," Rapunzel said with a smile of her own.

Then the team looked up to see the sun still out. And the world looking more beautiful than it ever had.

"We did it," Rapunzel whispered out as their victory sank in. They all looked to her and beamed happily. "We saved the world," she said in amazement.

"Yeah, drink in in guys. No big deal to me after all," Jack said nonchalantly. But the truth was he was basking in their success as well.

Soon the whole group burst out in happy and uproarious laughter. They whooped and hollered in joy at their success.

They'd done it.

They'd saved the world.

And they'd done it together.


	32. Chapter 32

**Epilogue**

"You blew up the bike I made you?! Woman do you have any idea how much work I put into that?"

"Aww, come on Hiccup. You can just make another one."

"No, that's it. First my Flightmare, and now that bike I upgraded for you. No more bikes for you," Hiccup said as he kept his eyes ahead of them as he flew them home. Merida slid into his lap. He made sure not to look at her. Then he felt her kiss his check tenderly.

"Please Hiccup," she said sweetly. He glanced over to her. And it proved to be a fatal error. He was trapped by her big blue eyes and trembling lower lip.

"Ugh, fine. I'm sensing things are always going to be like this," he muttered. Merida beamed before kissing him firmly on the cheek and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Hey guys," Rapunzel piped in from behind them. Hiccup set the Timberjack on autopilot as he turned around to look at her. "What should we call ourselves?" she asked curiously.

"You think we need a name?" Merida asked inquisitively.

"Well, yeah. Like the Guardians," she pointed out as an example. They all thought about it and exchanged a glance. Maybe they did need a name.

"Oh, I got one!" Jack cut in. They all looked to him and raised an eyebrow. "How about, the Fantastic Four," he offered.

"…Nah," his friends said all at once.

"I think we'd be sued for that," Hiccup added.

"Ok…the Cool Quartet."

"Oh god," Merida said rolling her eyes.

"How about, Frost…and Friends," he suggested jokingly.

"Och."

"Really babe?"

"What, I'm not hearing any other ideas."

"The Big Four," Hiccup suddenly piped in. They all looked to him. He shrugged. "The Big Four. Sound good?" he asked as she looked to them all.

"Hmmm. I like it," Rapunzel said with a smile.

"Yeah. Me too. Excellent idea Hic," Merida said with a wide smile. She gave him a peck on the lips for his idea.

"I don't know. I kind of like Frost and Friends," Jack said in mock disagreement.

"Say that one more time Jack and I'm going to eject you out of the Timberjack," Hiccup warned.

"Alright fine," Jack said in defeat. "The Big Four it is," he said with a nod.

Everyone smiled. This is what the world would know them as. And together they would rival even the heroic feats of the legendary Guardians.

For while alone, they were powerful.

But together, Fury, Frost, Archer, and Limelight were unstoppable. Together these four heroes would face great evils and darkness. But they would never give up in the face of overwhelming odds.

They would fight.

And they would win.

Because that's what heroes do.

* * *

While the Big Four celebrated and the Guardians transported the villains to their respective prisons, not all was well. For some spirits, either the clever or the powerful were able to avoid the call of the ancient spell.

One such spirit made its way to the bottom of the ocean. Back to her deep sea lair. For when she regained her form, the daughter of King Triton would pay.

* * *

A grave split apart as a figure emerged. Placing his purple top hat on the dark magic user smiled wickedly at having come back from the other side. He set aside thought of revenge…for now. First he had a debt to repay. For soon his friends would notice his absence from the other side and come to collect.

* * *

A forest began to rot and die as a spirit intent on ruining Mother Nature's work was already at it.

* * *

One spirit was on the hunt for the gypsy that had eluded him in his life. She wouldn't escape him this time. And now he had the flames of judgment at his beck and call. She would be his this time.

Or she would burn.

* * *

But the darkest, and most foul spirit of them all…she commanded all the powers of hell itself. Green fire shrouded her spirit as her dark laughter chilled the air. She was one of the most powerful dark magic users to ever exist. Her powers rivaled even Moon Man when she was flesh.

And when she was flesh again.

The world would know _true _evil.

* * *

**END**

* * *

Alright everyone thats the end. Hope you all liked this story. I know i enjoyed writing it and i'm planning to write more for this AU in which the team will team up with more animated character. Feel free to review and tell me what you think.


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